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Construction of the airport leg of the Kolkata Metro rail project is yet to begin due to the non-availability of clearances and bureaucratic hurdles.
While a revised underground route plan on the stretch (7 km) was approved after much dilly-dallying by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) last year, a final plan for construction is yet to be chalked out.
The 32-km Metro line will run along the eastern fringes of the city to connect the airport via Salt Lake, the IT city.
To be operated by Metro Railway, Kolkata – a wing of Indian Railways – the Rs 4,260-crore project was sanctioned in 2010-11, and the 25-km elevated stretch of the line is under construction.
“Some areas of the AAI are yet to be handed over to the Metro Railway authorities to start work. A plan of work has not been finalised so far in this regard,” a Railway official involved in the project told Business Line. According to him, these formalities may take more time, leading to a further delay . A survey for the underground work near the airport is yet to be conducted, he added.
Commenting on the Budget allocation for the five Metro extension projects this fiscal (Rs 629 crore) that are being carried out in Kolkata, the official said the airport Metro project does not face any fund constraints. “Issues over Budgetary allocation and available funds for these projects are blown out of proportion. Once construction begins, lack of fund is unlikely to hinder the project,” he said.
Meanwhile, another 17-km Metro project, connecting the Central Business District with Joka (near IIM Calcutta), is awaiting approval from the Union Finance and Defence Ministries.
According to the Railway official, even if the Rs 2,619-crore project witnesses good progress on the first leg from Joka, the Union Government’s reluctance towards the project is putting it on a slow track.
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