Mamata upset as CM not invited to event
EW METRO PROJECT INAUGURATION
Standoff between the the Centre and the West Bengal Government continues as Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders stay away from the inauguration of the muchawaited first phase of the East-West Metro Railway Project on Thursday. That Mamata was not invited and her name was missing from the invitation card has upset the party leadership.
Three leaders — including TMC MP Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, state Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose and Mayor of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation Krishna Chakraborty — were invited for the inaugural ceremony and were sent invitation cards.
The official invitation was also sent to them by the Railways but all the three leaders have decided to skip it because Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was not invited by the Metro Railways.
TMC MP Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said, “Our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee planned the East West Metro Corridor. Urban Railways was her idea and she worked hard to get the money sanctioned. The work was started by her and now they are disregarding her effort. She was not invited and therefore we are also skipping the event.”
“These are very childish games the state will not invite the central leaders in state programs and the Centre won’t invite the state leader in central programs. As a chief minister she should have been invited, it is a protocol. Why show that they are not on good terms when secretly they are hand in glove,” said CPI-M leader Sujon Chakraborty.
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the first phase of the East West Metro corridor connecting Sector V with Salt Lake Stadium on Thursday. Union Minister Babul Supriyo was also present besides senior Metro officials.
At 5 pm, Union Railway Minister flagged off the inaugural run on the 4.88-km-long section. On February 14, 2020, the Metro service will be open for regular commercial services, which will connect Sector V, Karunamoyee, Central Park, City Centre, Bengal Chemical and Salt Lake Stadium stations.