Relief from Traffic Congestion, Shorter Commute to Main Kolkata | All About Joka-Taratala Metro to be Inaugurated by PM Modi on Friday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Joka-Taratala stretch of Joka-Esplanade Metro project, or the Purple Line, as part of three major public programmes in Kolkata on Friday.

The prime minister tweeted on Thursday to say he will be inaugurating or laying the foundation stone for development works worth Rs 7,800 crore, calling it an important day for the “growth trajectory” of West Bengal.

Prime Minister Modi will be inaugurating the new Metro line soon after flagging off the Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express from Howrah railway station.

“Great news for the people of Kolkata and for furthering ‘Ease of Living’ in this vibrant city. The Joka-Taratala stretch Kolkata Metro’s Purple Line would be inaugurated,” the PM tweeted.

Here is all you need to know about the new Metro line:

1. The 6.5-km Joka-Taratala stretch is part of the Joka-Esplanade Metro project and has six stations, which have been constructed at a cost of more than Rs 2,475 crore. The train will stop at Joka, Thakurpukur, Sakher Bazar, Behala Chowrasta, Behala Bazar and Taratala stations.
2. The opening of the new stretch will benefit commuters from southern parts of Kolkata like Sarsuna, Behala, Muchipara and Joka, South 24 Parganas.
3. The project is part of Kolkata Metro Line 3. When the entire project is completed, the distance from Joka to Esplanade, which is in the heart of Kolkata, will be covered in half an hour.
4. Local commuters going to central Kolkata from greater south Kolkata have always had to face traffic congestion, especially the IIM Joka-Behala stretch. But the new line will make travel easier.
5. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had sanctioned this line when she was the rail minister. The inauguration of this line will be a relief for those commuting from greater south Kolkata, as it was difficult to expand the already-congested roads on this stretch.

Local residents in Behala are especially relieved at the opening of the Metro on this stretch as these areas witness a lot of traffic snarls and congestion. Ujjal Das, a teacher from Howrah, said, “I stay in Joka, I had to leave my house three hours in advance to reach school on time but now I can commute to Taratala and take the bus. This stretch takes 40 to 50 minutes to navigate by road, so this will be a massive help for me.”

“This will be very helpful for us as reaching the main areas of Kolkata would take a lot of time; now we will reach Taratala in no time. I am only waiting for this line to be completed till Esplanade,” Sramana Roy, who works near IIM Joka, told News18.

Sources in the Metro said the line will be accessible to commuters two to three days after the inauguration.

Read all the Latest India News here