Key post lies vacant, Joka Metro gets ‘landlocked’

KOLKATA: The last leg of land acquisition for constructing the

Joka Metro

depot has stopped as the post of the competent authority has been lying

vacant

for more than two months.


The delay in the acquisition proces has triggered backlashes twice in recent months. In March, and again in April, locals had stopped the land-filling work for 15-20 days, demanding expedition of the process. They also voiced their protest against payment dues.

The depot is being constructed on 24.5 hectares but Rail Vikash Nigam Ltd (RVNL) has till now got 20.5 hectares. The rest could not be acquired under the Metro Constrution Act since of the post of the competent authority of Metro Railway, who reconciles the disputes legally during land acquisition, is lying vacant.

The competent authority is from the judicial department of the state government. Guru Das Biswas, who was the competent authority, had relinquished his charge to take up his new assignment as the additional district and session judge, Court-I on February 21, 2019. Since he has not been replaced till now, a number of land acquisition issues have got stalled.

The competent authority issues notification for land acquisition under Metro Act, disposes all objections, conducts hearing if there are more issues, sends claim application to Metro Railway for clearance and finally settles the issue through legal reconciliation. The delay happens when the gap between the notification and taking possession of land is more than one month. The entire process lapses and the process gets reintroduced again.

Besides the acquisition of depot land, 0.06 hectare land in Majerhat and 0.11 hectare in Mominpore could not be acquired for the absence of the Competent Authority, sources in RVNL said. Not only the depot land in Joka, two piers in Baghajatin (P13 and P18A) and another two in the Pragati Maidan area (P245 and P244) could not be erected as the land acquisition issue is still pending with the competent authority.