Kolkata, Nov 08: Trying to take credit for railway projects in West Bengal, Union Minister Mamata Banerjee today said the ongoing projects had been expedited by her when she was the Railway Minister. "I had expedited the Digha-Tamluk railway line project. It would have become operational, had I continued for a few more months in the rail bhavan," she said in an oblique reference to Railway Minister Nitish Kumar. She pointed out that the CPI(M) MP from Tamluk had tried to create hurdles in the completion of Digha-Tamluk line. Laying foundation of a water reservoir and booster pumping station at Kasba near here, Banerjee said she had also taken steps to expedite Eklakhi-Balurghat and Changrabandha- malbazar and other railway projects in the state. Lauding efforts of Trinamool Congress-controlled Kolkata Municipal Coporation for taking up Rs 19 crore Kasba water reservoir project, Banerjee said it would be completed by December 31, 2004. During his recent visit here Nitish Kumar had said all sanctioned projects for West Bengal would be finished on time without any delay. He had said the rail link between Contai and Tamuk would become operational next month.
Bureau Report