West Bengal Government Moves to Resolve Land Hurdles for Key Railway Projects: Report

In a push to expedite critical railway projects, the West Bengal government has initiated efforts to clear land acquisition hurdles, an official confirmed last week, as reported by PTI.

Chief Secretary Manoj Pant has reportedly directed officials to swiftly address land-related issues, particularly for the Dankuni-Ludhiana freight rail corridor, as well as several railway overbridges and underpasses where disputes have stalled progress,

Pant’s directives were issued during a high-level meeting at the state secretariat, Nabanna, attended by Eastern Railway General Manager Milind Deouskar and senior officials from the state Land and Transport Departments.

"The chief secretary has asked officials to quickly find a solution to the problem of acquiring land. Also, land is needed for railway lines. It has been asked to start work on identifying those lands," an official said.

This initiative marks a crucial step in fast-tracking railway connectivity, particularly for the Dankuni-Ludhiana freight corridor, which is expected to boost trade and logistics in the eastern corridor of the country.

Many of these projects have been stuck in limbo due to disputes over land acquisition, a problem particularly severe in West Bengal, affecting both railway expansion and road infrastructure development.