The recent central rail budget looked like no short of an angel's gift to Bengalis. For everyone who's not a follower of the Rail Minister, the announcements, touching every strata of the society, were too good to believe. Among them the optimists' brigade may have thought even if 60% of the projects come through, it will change rail travel in Bengal.
And today marks a memorable follow-up to the budget. Two inauguration announcements and changing the name of one of the erstwhile metro rail terminal stations promise to leave a lasting impression on the Bengali's life. Inauguration of extension of metro from Tollygunge to Garia, kickstart of the first Ladies' Special train from Bandel to Howrah and renaming Tollygunge metro station as 'Uttam Kumar'- Bengal's greatest matinee idol- in the month of his death are something every Bengali concerned anywhere in the world is surely taking note of.
In the political perspective, it doesn't take more than common sense to see that timing all the three on the same day, that too a Sunday when everyone has the privilege to catch a live telecast of the same and just before the 21st July roadshow of Trinamool Congress, is a strategic move, keeping in mind the 2011 assembly elections. And by that count it has indeed hit the bull's eye.
The flavour of Kolkata
The city is known for its old alleys. One such is shot by Atanu Pal.
The eight-and-a-half kilometer long Tollygunge-Garia extension of Metro Rail in Kolkata is a Joint Venture of the Central Government and the Government of WB built at a cost of over Rs.1100 crores. The initiative to start this project was taken up by the State Government in 1998 itself. It has shared more than 33% of the total cost involved in the project. Besides, at Baisnabghata-Patuli Satellite Township it has rehabilitated all the people evicted along Tolly Nullah in course of implementation of this joint venture. During the entire implementation period Miss Mamata Banerjee had opposed the joint venture vehemently. Miss Mamata Banerjee being the Railway Minister inaugurated the project on 22nd August, 2009. But surprisingly, she did not invite the Chief Minister of West Bengal, the Mayor of Kolkata and the State Government to the inaugural function. Moreover, without consulting state government she has named the stations of the joint venture unilaterally and shamelessly.
ReplyDeleteIndustrialization and all round development of a state is a continuous process. But Mamata Banerjee thinks that it is only her monopoly and prerogative. Until & unless she becomes Chief Minister, she will allow neither industrialization nor development. So, she opposed every initiative of a constitutionally elected state government misusing armed Maoist slaughterers, few sold-out spineless & greedy intellectuals and some media in the name of saving so-called ‘agricultural land’ and ‘environment’. The result is abandonment of much-awaited Chemical Hub at Nandigram, Tata’s Nano Factory at Singur, expansion of National Highways, construction of Hospitals, I.T. Parks, Bridges, Aerodromes, Industries, Thermal Power Plants and what not. On becoming Railway Minister, now she shamelessly talks about industrialization and development. It is nothing but her sheer dishonesty, duplicity, political gimmick and fraudulence to salvage her anti-industry image for election gains only.
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