Union Railway and I&B Minister and senior BJP leader Ashwini Vaishnaw today alleged that many railway projects in West Bengal were being delayed due to lack of cooperation from the state government, particularly in matters related to land acquisition.

 

Speaking to reporters after offering prayers at the historic Jagannath Temple in Mahesh, Serampore, ahead of the launch of the BJP’s Paribartan Yatra in Hooghly district, Mr Vaishnaw said only 27 per cent of the land required for railway projects in the state has been acquired so far, while 73 per cent remains pending. As a result, several important railway projects are unable to move forward, he claimed.

 

The Railway Minister stated that the Union government has allocated a budget of 14,200 crore rupees for railway development in West Bengal. In addition, railway projects worth 93,000 crore rupees have already been sanctioned for the state. However, he alleged that many of these projects were stalled due to inadequate support from the state government in facilitating land acquisition.

 

Despite these challenges, he said, the central government is continuing its efforts to push forward railway development projects in the state.

 

Later, addressing a public meeting at the Angus Jute Mill ground in Bhadreswar, the Minister launched a sharp attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress government. He alleged that the Bengali identity is under threat under the current regime and claimed that large-scale illegal infiltration was altering the demographic composition of the state.

 

During his speech, the Railway Minister also announced that modernisation work at the Serampore railway station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme would begin next week. The project aims to upgrade passenger facilities and infrastructure at the station as part of the Centre’s broader plan to modernize railway stations across the country.