New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday strongly criticised the West Bengal government over alleged hurdles to the Kolkata Metro construction, saying a public-benefit development project should not be unnecessarily politicised.
The case relates to the Metro corridor linking Sector 5 in Salt Lake with South Kolkata. A petition before the Calcutta High Court had flagged prolonged obstruction at the ‘Singrigatta’ junction and sought directions to complete the work quickly.
The High Court, expressing concern over delays, had on December 23 last year directed that the work be completed by February 15 and permitted road closures to carry out construction. Challenging this, the West Bengal government moved the Supreme Court, arguing that road closures would affect ambulances and emergency vehicles and seeking time until May.
During the hearing before a bench led by Chief Justice Suryakant, the state cited election-related restrictions and school public examinations as reasons for the slowdown. The bench questioned what prevented compliance since the High Court’s order and observed that the matter warranted action against senior officials, while stressing that the Election Commission could not object to an ongoing court-monitored development project.
The Supreme Court dismissed the state’s appeal and said it would ensure the project is completed within the stipulated timeline, directing that the Calcutta High Court continue to monitor the construction.
