CM Mamata turns 'nostalgic' for her stint as Rail Minister, highlights contribution towards metro

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken to social media to share a moment of "nostalgia," reflecting on her pivotal role in the expansion of the Kolkata Metro infrastructure. In a detailed social media post, she proudly claimed credit for the blueprint, planning, and subsequent implementation of several metro rail corridors, both during her tenure as the Union Railway Minister and later as the state's Chief Minister.

Banerjee stated that she was fortunate to have had the opportunity to plan and approve multiple metro rail corridors as the Railway Minister of India. She emphasized that her vision was to connect various parts of the city, such as Joka, Behala, Taratala, Garia, Noapara, Dakshineswar, and Dum Dum, into a comprehensive metropolitan grid.

She highlighted her specific contributions, stating that the initiation of several crucial connections, including Tollygunge-Garia, Dum Dum-Garia, Dakshineswar-Dum Dum, and Salt Lake-Howrah, was started under her leadership. She also noted that she had introduced a more "realistic" route for the East-West Metro, which paved the way for its eventual execution and realization.

To facilitate the massive expansion projects, she also took pride in having created a separate metro railway zone for Kolkata, which was an addition to the 20 existing zones across India. She recalled that her goal was to create world-class stations and provide the city with a modern, efficient transport network.

Furthermore, Banerjee stressed that her active involvement did not end with her term as a Union Minister. As the Chief Minister of West Bengal, she said she ensured the projects' speedy completion by providing state support, including granting land free of cost, building roads, and arranging for the rehabilitation of displaced individuals. She added that her Chief Secretaries held continuous coordination meetings to remove any hurdles and maintain synergy between various agencies.

She summarized her contribution by expressing her good fortune at not only having planned the projects as the Railway Minister but also having overseen their proper execution in the field as the Chief Minister. She concluded her post by asking her followers to allow her to feel "a little nostalgic" about the journey of building the city's metro infrastructure.