Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited West Bengal and Bihar on 6th March, 2024. He inaugurated India’s first underwater metro in Kolkata (West Bengal), spanning 16.6 km under the Hooghly River ( East-West Metro corridor) and also unveiled development projects worth Rs 12,800 crore in Bihar’s Bettiah town in West Champaran district.
Highlights of PM’s Visit to West Bengal
Inaugurated Multiple Connectivity Projects Worth Rs. 15,400 Crore in Kolkata, West Bengal
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated several connectivity projects in Kolkata worth Rs 15,400 Crore which aims to improve urban mobility and decongest road traffic including the development of the Metro Rail and Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS).
Details of the Connectivity projects
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated multiple sections of various metro projects across India. The projects include
i.Howrah Maidan-Esplanade Metro section (Under Hooghly River)
- It will become the first transportation tunnel under any river in India
ii.Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay Metro section
iii. Taratala-Majerhat Metro section (part of the Joka-Esplanade line)
- It will have an elevated metro station across railway lines, platforms, and a canal
iv.Pune Metro from Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi stretch
v.Kochi Metro Rail Phase I Extension project (Phase IB)
- From SN Junction Metro station to Tripunithura Metro station
vi.Agra Metro’s stretch from Taj East Gate to Mankameshwar
- It will help in improving connectivity to historical sites
vii.Duhai-Modinagar (North) section of Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor
- It will enhance economic activity in NCR (National Capital Region)
He also laid the foundation stone of
- Pune Metro Rail project phase 1 between Pimpri Chinchwad Metro-Nigdi.
India’s First Underwater Metro Line in Kolkata, West Bengal
PM Narendra Modi launched India’s first underwater metro line, which connects Howrah Maidan and Esplanade, spanning 4.8 km and passes under the Hooghly River.
- The project was executed by Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited(KMRCL) and costs Rs 4,965 crore.
Note: KMRCL is a Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) under Ministry of Railways
Details of the Underwater Metro Section
i.Underwater metro in Kolkata is part of Kolkata Metro’s East-West corridor
- The corridor has a total length of 16.6 km with 10.8 km being underground.
- It has a total of 12 metro stations
- The construction of this corridor was started in 2009
ii.The metro line has the deepest Metro station in India at Howrah which is 33 metres in depth.
iii.The route connects key areas, including the IT hub Salt Lake Sector V.
Note: Construction of the tunnel under the Hooghly River was started in 2017 and completed in April 2023. The tunnel has an internal diameter of 5.55 meters and an external diameter of 6.1 meters.
PM Visit to Bihar
Inauguration of Development Projects worth Rs 12,800 crore in Bettiah town, Bihar
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated projects worth Rs 12,800 crore in Bihar at a program in Bettiah, the district headquarters town of West Champaran.
Key dignitaries
Governor Rajendra V Arlekar, Chief Minister (CM) of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, Deputy CMs Samat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, and state minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary of the JD(U) were present at the program.
Details of the projects
The projects launched include sectors such as petroleum and natural gas, roads, and railways.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Projects
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated
i.A 109-km pipeline from Muzaffarpur to Motihari.
- It will provide clean cooking fuel to Bihar and Nepal
ii.Indian Oil’s LPG(Liquefied Petroleum Gas) plant and storage terminal at Motihari
- It will supply petroleum products to Nepal and eight districts of north Bihar.
- The 8 districts are East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Muzaffarpur, Sheohar, Sitamarhi and Madhubani.
iii.City gas distribution project in multiple districts which are
- East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, and Deoria.
iv.He also launched grain-based ethanol projects at HBL’s (Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited Biofuels Ltd) facilities in Sugauli and Lauriya
Road Projects
PM Narendra Modi Inaugurated
i.Two-laning road projects of :
- the Piprakothi-Motihari-Raxaul section of National Highway (NH)-28A
- the Sheohar-Sitamarhi section of NH-104
Also laid the foundation stone of:
i.Six-lane cable bridge over the Ganga, parallel to Digha-Sonepur rail-cum-road bridge at Patna.
ii.Four-laning of the Bakarpur Hat-Manikpur section of NH-19 bypass.
Railway Projects
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated
i.Doubling of the 62-km line from Bapudham Motihari to Piprahan
ii.The gauge conversion of the Narkatiaganj-Gaunaha section.
And laid the foundation stone of:
i.Doubling and electrification of the 96-km-long Gorakhpur Cantt-Valmiki Nagar rail line
ii.The redevelopment of the Bettiah railway station.
He also flagged off two new trains between
- Narkatiaganj-Gaunaha
- Raxaul-Jogbani routes
About West Bengal
Capital- Kolkata
Chief Minister- Mamata Banerjee
Governor- C.V. Ananda Bose
About Bihar
Capital– Patna
Chief Minister- Nitish Kumar
Governor- Rajendra V Arlekar
