KOLKATA, May 23: The West Bengal government has directed all concerned departments to transfer pending land parcels to railway authorities in a major push to accelerate 61 stalled infrastructure projects across the state, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Saturday.
Several railway and metro works had remained delayed for years because of unresolved land acquisition and clearance issues, including projects in Hili near the India-Bangladesh border in Uttar Dinajpur district and in Nandigram of Purba Medinipur district.
Addressing officials and stakeholders, the chief minister stressed the importance of improving railway connectivity and transport infrastructure for the state’s economic growth and regional development.
“We have instructed every concerned department to complete the land handover process so that the pending railway projects can move forward without further delay,” Adhikari said.
He asserted that people across West Bengal would soon witness the benefits of faster infrastructure expansion as the projects gather pace under coordination between the Centre and the state government.
The chief minister also highlighted progress in the long-pending New Garia-Airport metro corridor in Kolkata, particularly the construction of a 366-metre viaduct at Chingrighata crossing in the eastern part of the city.
The work had reportedly remained stalled for more than a year because of pending police permissions and administrative clearances. Adhikari said all necessary approvals were granted after the formation of the new BJP government on May 9, allowing construction activity to resume at full speed.
“We will utilise the opportunity of a double-engine government to accelerate development work across Bengal,” he said.
The term “double-engine government” is frequently used by BJP leaders to describe a situation where the same party governs both at the Centre and in a state, enabling closer coordination in policy implementation and infrastructure execution.
Emphasising cooperation between the Union and state governments, Adhikari said Bengal’s development would play a crucial role in India’s broader growth ambitions.
“A developed India can only become a reality when Bengal moves ahead strongly on the path of development,” he stated.
The renewed push comes amid large-scale railway investment plans in the state. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier announced that infrastructure projects worth nearly Rs 92,974 crore are currently underway in West Bengal.
These projects include new railway tracks, station redevelopment programmes, safety upgrades, freight corridor expansion and metro rail connectivity improvements aimed at modernising the transport network across the region.