KOLKATA: Ongoing Metro projects in Kolkata have run into rough weather, thanks to the hands-off attitude of the very person who initiated them in the first place – Mamata Banerjee. Subodh Jain, member engineering and member staff, Railway Board, who inspected the Joka-BBD Bag stretch on Saturday morning, admitted that it has run into trouble as land is not readily available.
“We are having trouble acquiring land for the car-shed in Joka. We have also not yet received clearance from the ministries of finance and defence for use of their land. We will also require some land belonging to the Kolkata Port Trust for completion of the project. However, work is continuing on the remaining stretch at a good pace,” Jain said during his visit.
While the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd is in charge of implementation of the project, Metro Railway will have to acquire nearly 25 hectares for the car-shed. A notification was issued for acquisition of 24.47 hectares in the Sakharipota, Rasapunja, Bonogram, Kalagachhia and Hanspukuria mouzas in South 24-Parganas. The land is nearly 1.5 km from the Behala tram depot along the alignment of the Churial canal. While people have refused to part with their land in these mouzas, officials don’t want to make use of The Metro Railways (Construction of Works) Act, 1978, that allows it to acquire any land, building, street, road or passage.
“This act allows Metro Railway to acquire any land that it may require for a project.
The owners can’t refuse to hand over the land, but can only claim compensation. If they are not satisfied with the compensation granted by Metro, they can seek a hearing. This is when a judicial officer can ask the Metro to increase the sum. However, in no case can the Metro be asked not to acquire land. It is unfortunate that officials don’t want to make use of this act. It is possible that they don’t want a confrontation with the state government which has made clear that forcible acquisition will not be allowed,” a highly placed source said.
Mamata Banerjee, when she was railway minister, had got then President Pratibha Patil to lay the foundation stone of the Joka-BBD Bag stretch. Mamata had then said that the project is of national importance and wouldn’t face any hurdles. After she took over as chief minister, it was expected that the going would be smooth. However, things changed once she quit the UPA. She announced that no land can be acquired by force, even if it is occupied by squatters.
Metro general manager Radhey Shyam, when asked about the problems faced by projects to the north of the city, said that encroachers were posing a problem. “The state government has made it clear that it will do nothing to remove encroachers. The only way to proceed is if the encroachers agree to move by themselves,” he said.
Source: The Times of India