SC raps Bengal Govt for stalling metro work over polls, fest

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday reprimanded the West Bengal government for stalling the construction of Kolkata's Orange Line Metro Project.

A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi hauled up the state for challenging a Calcutta High Court order which had ordered traffic blockades on two consecutive weekend nights to enable the construction of a 366-metre stretch at Chingrighata.

The bench observed that the state's argument that blockades cannot be implemented due to the festival season and upcoming assembly elections revealed the state government's "obstinate attitude".


Dismissing the state government's appeal, the bench said "this merely exhibits the obstinate attitude of the authority wherein they want to delay and stall the metro rail project in Kolkata. There was no infirmity in the order passed by the HC. We are sure that the project is completed in a time-bound manner".

Weighing in, Justice Joymalya Bagchi verbally observed that the state seemed to be prioritising festivals over development activities.

CJI Kant orally remarked "this shows complete dereliction of your constitutional duty. This is just an attempt to politicise an issue where there is no such issue".