Kolkata, May 15 (IANS) The Railways on Friday sanctioned three new projects for West Bengal, where there has been a change of regime following the recently concluded Assembly polls, ending the 15-year Trinamool Congress rule and marking the beginning of the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in the state since Independence.

According to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, he had received three separate subject letters relating to the projects from Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The first of the three projects relates to the approval of the new Jalpaiguri-Siliguri railway line project in the northern sector of West Bengal.

The second project concerns the approval for the operation of a new express train, christened the Santragachi-Khatipura Express (via Kharagpur), connecting Santragachi in the Howrah region adjoining Kolkata with Jaipur’s Khatipura area in Rajasthan.

The third subject letter relates to the approval for the final location survey and preparation of the detailed project report for the construction of a third railway line stretching over 107 km from Salboni in West Midnapore district to Adra Junction in Purulia district.

At the same time, the Railway Minister on Friday issued a statement on social media announcing the commencement of the long-pending Kolkata Metro connection work at Chingrighata near Salt Lake on the northern outskirts of Kolkata from Friday night.

The connection work could not begin for a long period during the previous Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress regime as the Kolkata Police had not granted permission for traffic restrictions at Chingrighata, which were necessary for the execution of the work.

“The government in West Bengal has changed. A double-engine government has come to power. The problem of Chingrighata, stuck for three years, has been resolved. Permission has also been obtained from the Kolkata Police. Now the work is starting,” the Railway Minister said in his social media statement issued on Friday afternoon.

Two girders are scheduled to be installed between pillars 317, 318 and 319 of the Chingrighata Metro stretch to complete the Kolkata Metro connection work, for which traffic restrictions at Chingrighata were essential.

However, permission for the same had not been granted earlier by the previous state government and the Kolkata Police. After a prolonged legal battle, the Kolkata Police finally granted permission, following which installation work for the girders is scheduled to commence from Friday night.

–IANS

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