West Bengal has been allocated the highest ever Rs 6,636 crore for railway projects in the poll-bound state in this Union budget, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.
During a press conference here, Railway Minister Goyal blamed successive state governments for the delay in rail projects in West Bengal.
"The allocation for West Bengal is the highest ever in the history of Indian Railways. It is 2.5 times the average amount allocated between Budget 2009-2014 and 26 per cent more than last year," the Minister said while addressing a press conference.
Goyal said that the work is in progress for 53 projects including new lines, gauge conversion, doubling of railway tracks costing Rs 48,275 crore.
"Projects in West Bengal remain incomplete or are delayed because of the state governments. First, it was the Left front government and now the TMC has been unable to provide land to us. Projects which are 45 years old are pending in the state. I appeal to Mamata didi to expedite the process and give us the land," he added.
The minister said that, due to the non-availability of land, as many as 34 projects in the state have received only token allotment in the budget 2021-22.
"I want to assure the people of West Bengal that there is no shortage of funds for projects in the state. Only there should not be any shortage of land and local issues are sorted then projects will be completed on time," he said.
The tenure of the Trinamool Congress government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal will come to an end on May 30, 2020.
The upcoming state elections in West Bengal are slated to take place in 2021 for 294 Assembly seats.
( With inputs from ANI )
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