Kolkata metro gets Rs 2,316 crore, Rs 53 crore up from last year | Kolkata News – Times of India

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KOLKATA: The overall budget allocation for the city’s Metro projects for the 2022-23 fiscal is Rs 2,316.2 crore, slightly more than last year’s Rs 2,263 crore. But that is primarily on account of a single project: the East-West Metro, which has received an additional Rs 200 crore. Allocation to the other Metro projects – Joka-Esplanade, Garia-Airport and Noapara-Barasat via airport link – have taken a hit with funding down by Rs 118 crore against last year’s.
This year, East-West Metro’s allocation is Rs 1,100 crore against last year’s Rs 900 crore. The project has a December 2022 completion target for the entire 16km corridor and currently operates 7km between Sector V and Phoolbagan. When operational till Howrah Maidan, trains will, for the first time in India, travel under a river. “The Railway Board may have reserved some of the Rs 1,100 crore for further extension of East-West Metro,” said Manas Sarkar, MD, Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC), implementing agency. Sources said spending was bigger during tunnelling and even East-West Metro is nearing completion, so not all of the Rs 1,100 crore may be required.

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As for the other Metro corridors, Metro Railway DGM Protyush Ghosh said the 7km Noapara-Barasat via airport link, with a 2km underground section, has received Rs 506 crore, less than last year’s Rs 520 crore. The corridor has a 2023 deadline. It is being implemented directly by Metro Railway and has progressed despite the pandemic. The 32km New Garia-Airport and 14km Joka-Esplanade links with Rs 350 crore each, have received less this time, considering the former’s allocation of Rs 350 crore in last year’s Budget was revised to Rs 430 crore and the latter’s Rs 350 crore was revised to Rs 425 crore. Both projects are eyeing truncated commissioning in 2024.
In addition, the Baranagar-Barrackpore-Dakshineswar project has been allocated Rs 10 crore. Though the Baranagar-Dakshineswar stretch is now operational, there’s no progress on the Barrackpore stretch yet.
For Eastern and South-Eastern Railway, allocation has increased slightly by Rs 806 crore and Rs 906 crore respectively. While Eastern Railway has been given Rs 6,266 crore, South-Eastern has received Rs 5,681 crore.
But there are no new railway projects for the state this time as stress has been given on completed ongoing ones, like Nimtita-New Farakka double line, Bandel-Baichi, Baichi-Saktigargh, Katwa-Bazarsau and Dankuni-Chandanpur. Funds have been allocated for various infrastructure enhancement in the railways.

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