Saralnama
On August 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated three new Kolkata Metro routes totaling 13.62 kilometers, enhancing connectivity between key city points including Howrah, Sealdah, Sector 5 IT hub, and the airport. He also laid the foundation stone for a 7.2-kilometer, six-lane elevated Kona Expressway costing over Rs 1,200 crore, aimed at improving road connectivity between Howrah, surrounding rural areas, and Kolkata, reducing travel time and boosting business and tourism. The metro stretches include Sealdah to Esplanade (2.45 km), Noapara to Jai Hind Bimanbandar (6.77 km), and Hemanta Mukhopadhyay to Beleghata (4.39 km). These projects are part of a larger Rs 83,765 crore railway development initiative in West Bengal, with Rs 13,955 crore approved in the current budget. Modi invited West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to the event, though reports indicated she did not attend. The metro expansions are expected to benefit hundreds of thousands of daily commuters by providing faster and more convenient travel options. Modi’s visit also follows previous inaugurations of infrastructure projects in the state, including a Rs 5,000 crore project in Durgapur in July 2025. (Updated 22 Aug 2025, 05:40 IST; source: link)