A day after an inspection by the chief commissioner of railway safety, Janak Kumar Garg, the Hemanta Mukhopadhyay to Beleghata stretch of Kolkata Metro’s Orange Line ran into a blame game over delays between the Kolkata Metro Railway and the city police. Yesterday, according to the metro authorities, the safety commission expressed itsdissatisfaction after the inspection of the stretch and advised the Metro authorities to construct an additional 90-metre viaduct beyond the station limits for signal overlap and a foot over bridge (FOB) at Beleghata to enable commuters to cross the busy E.M. Bypass to enter the station safely.

As stated by the metro authorities, in order to comply with the observations of the safety commission, the two major works are to be completed early. Metro Railway and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited ( RVNL) officials are trying their best to obtain NOC for the necessary traffic block from Traffic Police in order to get the work done so that the Orange Line can be extended up to Beleghata from Hemanta Mukhopadhyay station. According to the claims of the city metro, RVNL authorities have written letters to Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic Department thrice requesting him to provide NOC for the traffic block to carry out the work. “On 6 February, another letter was issued to the Commissioner of Police of Kolkata Police requesting him to provide NOC for traffic diversion to construct one span (P167- P168), middle support at median of E.M. Bypass for FOB at Beleghata station.

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Necessary diversion road, extra widening of the road, new road bridge have been constructed by RVNL and proper illumination has also been done as per the requirement of the Traffic Department to mitigate any traffic issue during this block….” underscored the carrier. But the works have been held up due to non-availability of traffic block on E.M. Bypass. “Several rounds of meetings and joint site inspection have also been conducted. Till now necessary NOC has not been issued resulting in unnecessary delay of the project,” said the statement. The city police, on the other hand, refuted the claims.

The police also issued a statement saying that there was a delay of 50 days in completing the construction work of metro pier P-318 at Chingrighata crossing beyond the permitted period of 30 days taken by the RVNL. According to the Kolkata Police, no intimation or information regarding such delay was conveyed to them. The police also alleged that there is utter lack of co-operation during joint inspection or during meeting conducted from RVNL authority. “No representative from RVNL or Metro present for important meetings where issues need to be discussed,” said the statement issued by the police.