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Piyush Goyal inaugurates Kolkata’s Phoolbagan metro station, thanks PM Modi’s intervention
TMC leaders boycotted the inauguration programme saying chief minister Mamata Banerjee was not invited which was an insult to her.
Union railways and commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday virtually inaugurated the new Phoolbagan station of the East-West Metro that will connect Salt Lake to Kolkata and Howrah.
The East-West metro comprises 5.8 kilometres of elevated section and 7.2 kilometres of underground section, part of which will run beneath the Hooghly river, making it a first of its kind in the nation, said Goyal. The Phoobagan station in the eastern fringes of Kolkata is part of the underground section. The already operational elevated section was inaugurated by Goyal in February this year.
“Good news for Kolkata Metro commuters! Services of East-West Corridor are now extended till Phoolbagan, where an underground station with modern amenities has been commissioned. Our Govt is focused on creating quality infrastructure under the leadership of PM @NarendraModi ji,” tweeted Goyal.
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In a live speech shared on social media, Goyal said, “It is very very commendable that all the engineers, workmen, the railway officials worked amid the Covid pandemic, rather, worked extra (hours) during the pandemic to complete the Phoolbagan station in time for Durga Puja. I think it is a great gift for the people of Kolkata.”
Goyal said the metro expansion project got delayed for several years because of problems related to land acquisition, resettlement issues, among other reasons, Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervened after the BJP came to power in 2014.
“Because of his focused monitoring of this project and his personal intervention, the project got started again in 2015. He could realise that the people of Kolkata are facing a lot of difficulties due to the delays. He ensured adequate availability of funding. I am told the entire East-West project will be completed by December 2021,” Goyal said.
The Union minister said that by 2035, around 10 lakh people will use the metro services every day.
Meanwhile, Sudip Bandopadhyay, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MP from Kolkata North constituency and two local TMC legislators, Sadhan Pandey and Paresh Pal, boycotted the inauguration programme, saying chief minister Mamata Banerjee was not invited which was an insult to her.
Two BJP junior Union ministers from the state, Babul Supriyo and Debasree Chaudhuri, were invited to the event.
“Without Mamata Banerjee’s help, the entire metro project could not have progressed. She worked hard to make it a success and the BJP is trying to take the credit,” said state urban development minister Firhad Hakim.
