HC allows construction of metro over disputed land

The Calcutta High Court today allowed construction of Joka-BBD Bag metro railway over a piece of disputed land, subject to the outcome of a petition challenging the railway's right on it.
Justice I P Mookerjee directed that since construction work for the metro line has started over five years ago, it would be allowed to carry on with the project during pendancy of the petition.
Justice Mookerjee directed that the order for allowing the construction would be subject to the final outcome of the petition by one Subir Roy, who claimed to own the piece of land situated at Taratala in the south-western part of the city.

The court also directed the West Bengal government to file an affidavit within two weeks detailing the official records available with it with regard to the disputed land.
Construction work for the 18.73 km-long new metro line connecting the south-western outskirts at Joka with BBD Bag in the heart of the city began five years ago, counsel for the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) Uttam Majumdar submitted before the court.
Majumdar also submitted that the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) had handed over the piece of land to the RVNL in 2012 for construction of the metro project.
While KoPT counsel submitted that the piece of land along Diamond Harbour Road was acquired in 1906, counsel for the petitioner claimed that it had later been returned to the original owner.