Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, March 6, inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various projects worth ₹15,400 crore in Kolkata as part of his 10-day visit to 12 states and union territories (UTs). This is his second visit to West Bengal within five days.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Kolkata Metro’s East-West corridor, signalling India’s first venture into underwater Metro services. According to an official release, the 4.8-km stretch of the East-West Metro has been built at a cost of ₹4,965 crore and will have the deepest Metro station in India at Howrah – 30 metres below the ground level. The corridor will help connect key areas such as the IT hub Salt Lake Sector V.
According to the Central Railways, while the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Kolkata Metro’s East-West corridor is inaugurated today, the passenger services will begin at a later date.
The PM also flagged off other train services during his visit to Kolkata focusing on enhancing avenues for ensuring ease of urban mobility. These include – the Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and the Taratala-Majerhat Metro sections.
Apart from these, PM Modi also dedicated to the nation Pune Metro from Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi stretch; Kochi Metro Rail Phase I Extension project (Phase IB) from SN Junction Metro station to Tripunithura Metro station; Agra Metro’s stretch from Taj East Gate to Mankameshwar; and Duhai-Modinagar (North) section of Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor.
Later in the afternoon, PM Modi is expected to address a public rally at Barasat in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, where Sandeshkhali is situated.
