Calcutta, Dec. 22: The Nabadwipghat-Nabadwipdham railway link in Nadia district is one of Bengal’s significant rail projects that has faced delays due to land acquisition challenges attributed to the state government, according to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In a detailed written reply to the Rajya Sabha on December 20, Vaishnaw highlighted that 43 railway projects in Bengal, including 13 new rail routes, four-gauge conversion projects, and 26 additional track-laying projects, are stalled as the state has not handed over the required land.
“The minister specifically noted that the railways need 3,040 hectares of land for these projects, but the state has provided only 640 hectares, leaving 2,400 hectares yet to be acquired,” said a senior railway official.
The Nabadwipghat-Nabadwipdham new line, spanning approximately 10 kilometers in Nadia district, requires around 107 hectares of land. However, almost no land has been acquired so far for the project.
“For the Nabadwipghat-Nabadwipdham project, initial local resistance was resolved, and we have submitted a report to the railways, seeking funds for compensation,” said Pralay Raychaudhuri, Additional District Magistrate (Land and Land Reforms) of Nadia. For another district project, the Naihati-Ranaghat third line, mutation processes are underway to facilitate land transfer to the railways.
In Mahisura, a Muslim-dominated village near Nabadwip town, opposition to land acquisition persists. Villagers have questioned the state government’s intent, alleging inconsistency with its general stance against land acquisition. Notices for acquiring land under the Railways (Amendment) Act 2008 were issued to 180 farmers to construct a 600-meter-long rail bridge and track over the Bhagirathi River. This infrastructure aims to establish a direct rail link between Nabadwip Dham and Sealdah.
District Magistrate S. Arun Prasad expressed optimism about resolving the deadlock, stating, “The situation has changed. We are working on a time-bound basis and are hopeful of overcoming the challenges soon.”
Currently, travelers from Nabadwip Dham to Sealdah must change trains twice, at Bandel and Naihati. The proposed bridge over the Bhagirathi, coupled with the new track, would enable direct travel to Sealdah, approximately 120 kilometers away, via Krishnagar.
While the Bhagirathi rail bridge nears completion, the acquisition of 50 acres of land for the remaining project, including tracklaying through two multi-crops agricultural moujas and 200 pucca houses, has caused unrest. Villagers fear the project will devastate their livelihoods. “We will lose our multi-crop land and residences,” lamented Ali Azan Sheikh, a 50-year-old farmer. “We are poor farmers or weavers under the BPL category. The compensation will be insufficient to secure new accommodations in Nabadwip, where land is expensive.”
Villagers suggested shifting the track slightly southward to spare residential areas, even if it means sacrificing agricultural land. “This adjustment would be less disruptive for us,” said a resident.
A state government official acknowledged the predicament, stating, “As a ‘special railway project’ notified by the Central Government, it aims to build national infrastructure within a specified timeframe. Cooperation is necessary.”
Under the Railways (Amendment) Act 2008, the railways have expedited land acquisition powers for essential infrastructure projects. “This act facilitates land acquisition for projects crucial to the country’s sustainable economic growth, bypassing delays associated with the Land Acquisition Act, 1894,” explained a senior railway official. “It aligns with the fast-track provisions of the National Highways Act, 1956, for time-bound completion.”