Kolkata Metro, the country’s first metro network, has received the highest budgetary allocation for the FY 2023-24. It has received an outlay of Rs 2,550 crore for two of its projects – Dum Dum airport to New Garia and Joka to Binoy Badal Dinesh (BBD) Bagh. Both projects are being executed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). Kolkata Metro is the only metro in the country to be completely owned and controlled by Indian Railways.
Allocation for Joka to Binoy Badal Dinesh Bagh Metro project:
The Ministry of Railways has hiked the allocation for 16.75 km long Joka to BBD Bagh Metro via Majerhat in the new financial year 2023-24. An amount of Rs 1,350 crore has been allocated for the purple line. In FY 2022-23, it received an amount of Rs 794 crore.
At present, the metro line is in operation between Joka to Taratala. The 6.5 km stretch was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30, 2022, through video conferencing.
The stretch has been constructed at a cost of Rs 2,477.25 crore, out of which Rs 635 crore has been done for the Depot at Joka and about Rs 1,600 crore for the viaduct and completion of the station of the section. The construction of the Majerhat metro station is in full swing.
Also Read: Kolkata Metro’s Kavi Subash-Hemanta Mukherjee stretch to start operations soon – Details here
Allocation for Dum Dum airport to New Garia (Kavi Subhash) project:
An amount of Rs 1,200 crore has been allocated for Dum Dum airport to New Garia via the Rajarhat metro project in the new fiscal. In FY 2022-23, it received an allocation of Rs 904 crore.
Recently, a mandatory safety inspection was conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) on the newly constructed metro line from Kavi Subash (New Garia) – Hemanta Mukherjee (Rubi More) stretch. This 5.4 km section is a part of Kavi Subhash- Dumdum Airport via Rajarhat’s new Metro line (Orange Line). It has been built at a cost of Rs 1,550 crore.
