Kolkata Metro: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off the Noapara–Jai Hind Bimanbandar metro service from Jessore Road Metro Station and Sealdah–Esplanade metro service and the Beleghata–Hemanta Mukhopadhyay metro service. After inaugurating the newly constructed sections, PM Modi undertook a metro ride from Jessore Road Metro Station to Jai Hind Bimanbandar and back. However, the expansion of the Kolkata Metro has also sparked a credit war between the West Bengal Government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Central Government headed by Prime Miniter Narendra Modi.
Mamata Claims Nostalgia
CM Mamata Banerjee indirectly claimed credit for the Kolkata metro extension and recalled the days when she was the Railways Minister of India and planned the metro operations. “Allow me to be a little nostalgic today. As the Railways Minister of India, I was fortunate in planning and sanctioning a series of Metro Railway corridors in metropolitan Kolkata. I had drawn the blueprints, arranged the funds, initiated the works and ensured that the different ends of the city ( Joka, Garia, Airport, Sector V, etc) were connected by an intra-city Metro grid,” said Banerjee.
Banerjee further added that as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, she had the additional privilege of taking part in the execution of the projects. “From the State, I arranged free land, paved roads, arranged rehabilitation of displaced people, removed impediments, and ensured all help in the execution of projects. Our chief secretaries successively held a series of coordination meeting to ensure integration of the execution agencies. My planning as Railways Minister got fulfillment in my participation in execution. Expanding Metro infrastructure has been a long journey for me,” she said.
BJP Slams ‘Desperate Attempt’
Addressing a rally in Kolkata, PM Modi said that before 2014, the length of the metro route was only 250 km in the country, and today, this length is more than 1000 km. “Metro network has also expanded in Kolkata…Seven new stations are being added to the Kolkata Metro network. This will make the life of the people of Kolkata even easier,” he said.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her remarks on the Kolkata Metro expansion, terming her “nostalgia” was nothing but a “desperate attempt” to steal credit for the projects that languished under her watch.
BJP leader Amit Malviya termed Banerjee’s ‘nostalgia’ post as laughable. “For a sitting Chief Minister of 15 years to indulge in nostalgia on the very day Prime Minister Modi is in Kolkata to inaugurate critical sections of the Metro is laughable. Had she truly cared, these projects would have been delivered much earlier. Instead, her administration ensured years of delay. And now, instead of apologising to the people of Kolkata for lost time and lost opportunities, she is busy seeking credit and wallowing in self-appreciation. The people of Bengal know the truth,” said Malviya.
For a sitting Chief Minister of 15 years to indulge in nostalgia on the very day Prime Minister Modi is in Kolkata to inaugurate critical sections of the Metro is laughable.
Had she truly cared, these projects would have been delivered much earlier. Instead, her administration… https://t.co/BMyHkiYR6j
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 22, 2025
Kolkata Metro New Line Details
A 13.61 km-long newly constructed metro network was inaugurated today. PM Modi also flagged off the Sealdah–Esplanade metro service and the Beleghata–Hemanta Mukhopadhyay metro service. The Noapara–Jai Hind Bimanbandar metro service will significantly improve access to the airport. The Sealdah–Esplanade metro will reduce the travel time between the two points from nearly 40 minutes to only 11 minutes. The Beleghata–Hemanta Mukhopadhyay metro section will play a crucial role in enhancing connectivity with the IT hub. These metro routes will connect some of Kolkata’s busiest areas, bring a notable reduction in travel time, and strengthen multimodal connectivity, benefiting lakhs of daily commuters.