Title - E-W Metro to knock on MP door

The agency in charge of building the East-West Metro link will seek help from Howrah’s new Trinamul MP, Prasun Banerjee, to resolve the land impasse threatening to derail the city’s most ambitious infrastructure project in recent years.Banerjee had told Metro soon after winning the parliamentary bypoll on Wednesday that his first goal was to facilitate the construction of the East-West Metro, which aims to connect Salt Lake with Howrah.“We are glad that Mr Banerjee has expressed keenness in getting the project completed. We’ll seek an appointment with him next week and request him to speak to the state government to resolve the issues (threatening to trip the project),” said H.K. Sharma, the managing director of the Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation, the implementing agency of the Rs 4,875-crore project.Banerjee was not available for comment on Thursday.Sharma said his charter of demands would include making the state government agree on the original route alignment between Central and Howrah Maidan and getting land at Bowbazar and near Writers’ Buildings for laying tracks and building stations.

“We’ll request him to speak to the state government and convince them about the practical problems of changing the alignment,” the managing director said.

He said a change in the alignment would result in an extension of the route and escalation of the cost by at least Rs 500 crore. A change in the alignment would also call for seeking the army’s permission to build a station at Esplanade.

“We’ll explain to the MP how crucial it is to arrive at a consensus on the route map. Private contractors are fast losing interest in the project and some have already sought compensation,” said Sharma.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), the project’s main funding agency, has threatened to snap ties with the project if there is any further delay.

Immediately after the election results were announced, Prasun said his first priority was East-West Metro. “I will meet the Prime Minister carrying the appeal of the people of Howrah and then talk it out with Adhir Chowdhury (the junior railway minister). Adhir and I share a very good personal relationship.... I have realised that the voters of Howrah want the completion of the East-West project more than anything else. Howrah will be connected to Calcutta in five-10 minutes and everyone wants to be a part of this dream...,” Prasun had said.

The East-West Metro project is stuck at three places — Bowbazar, BBD Bag and Duttabad in Salt Lake — because of encroachments the government seems loathe to remove.

The alignment of the proposed route between Central station and Howrah Maidan hasn’t been finalised because the state government is yet to hand over land at Bowbazar to the KMRC.