PM lays foundation stone to redevelop 508 railway stations across India

Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid foundation stone through virtual mode for redevelopment of 37 railway stations in West Bengal among 508 such stations which are to be modernised across India.

The 37 stations in Bengal are to be redeveloped for Rs 1,503 crore.

Modi laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of the stations under the 'Amrit Bharat Station Scheme' through the virtual mode.

Out of a total of 508 stations for which foundation stone was laid by Modi, 37 are in West Bengal.

Among the stations to be redeveloped in West Bengal are Sealdah, Asansol, Bolpur, Malda Town, New Mal and New Alipurduar.

The PM said that apart from giving modern facilities to the passengers, the redeveloped stations will reflect the history and heritage of the place.

The redevelopment of the 37 stations in the state will cost Rs 1,503 crore, while the total project cost for the 508 stations is Rs 24,470 crore, the PMO said.

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari said that by including 37 stations in the state for the project, the prime minister has proved that "he does not do politics, but follows raj dharma."

He said that West Bengal is among the top states to have got a lion's share of the project for redeveloping 508 stations across the country.

"Instead of sitting on dharnas, the Trinamool Congress should hold thanksgiving for the prime minister," he said, criticising the ruling party in Bengal for holding a statewide agitation on Sunday over alleged non-payment of monetary dues to the state by the Centre.

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose was present at Sealdah station, one of the busiest railway stations in the country, during the programme.

Cricketer Jhulan Goswami, archer Bombayla Devi Laishram, artist Pritikana Goswami and freedom fighters Rama Rani Devi and Priti Rekha Bose were among the dignitaries present at Sealdah station of Eastern Railway.

Seven railway stations under Eastern Railway's Sealdah division are being redeveloped with state-of-the-art facilities and passenger amenities, ER general manager Amar Prakash Dwivedi said.

At Asansol station, which will be redeveloped at Rs 401 crore, divisional railway manager C Singh and local MLA Agnimitra Paul were present.

MLAs Srirupa Mitra Chowdhury and Gopal Saha, English Bazar municipality chairman Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury and Malda DRM Bikash Chowbey were present at Malda Town station, which is also among the 37 stations which will be redeveloped.

"Tendering for the project at Malda town has already been done and it will be completed by next January or February at a cost of Rs 40 crore," Chowbey told reporters.

The redevelopment project will install modern passenger amenities apart from ensuring a well-designed traffic circulation, inter-modal integration and well-designed signage for the guidance of passengers, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said, adding the design of station buildings will be inspired by local culture, heritage and architecture.

The 'Amrit Bharat Station Scheme' was launched to redevelop 1,309 stations, of which foundation laying was done for 508 stations on Sunday.

"These stations will be redeveloped at a cost of more than Rs 24,470 crore. Master Plans are being prepared for the development of these stations as 'City Centres', with proper integration of both sides of the city. This integrated approach is driven by the holistic vision of overall urban development of the city, centred around the railway station," the PMO said.

The facilities intended to be developed at the stations include foot-overbridges, escalators and elevators, two-wheeler and car parking areas, landscaping/horticulture, integrated passenger information system, signages, improvement of platforms and platform shelters, benches and washbasins, better illumination and power supply arrangements, and CCTV, among others.