Kidderpore Metro Station Project Moves Forward After Calcutta HC Ruling.

The Purple Line metro project in Kolkata has overcome a significant hurdle with the Calcutta High Court dismissing an appeal by tenants of a DH Road property. This ruling paves the way for the relocation of the Nepal Consulate and the subsequent construction of the crucial Kidderpore Metro Station.

On Wednesday, a division bench comprising Justices Debanshu Basak and Prasenjit Biswas rejected the appeal filed by tenants of City Properties at 1 National Library Avenue, located at the DH Road-Ekbalpore crossing. The building has already been acquired by Metro Railway, but legal proceedings had prevented them from taking physical possession of the land. The high court has now ordered the petitioners to vacate the property within two weeks.

The building at 1 National Library Avenue is intended to house the Nepal Consulate, which is currently located next door at 7/1 DH Road. Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL), the agency implementing the 14km Joka-Esplanade Metro corridor, requires the consulate's current land for essential utility diversion and to widen the western side of Diamond Harbour Road. This widening is critical for the construction of a 60-meter section of the 450-meter ramp needed for the metro line.

The Purple Line currently operates an elevated 7.7km stretch from Joka to Majerhat, with work for the final elevated station at Mominpur already underway.

"We told the court that the tenants have already accepted the compensation and the property now belongs to RVNL," Sakya Sen, counsel for RVNL, informed TOI.

The dispute dates back to 2022 when Metro Railway initiated land acquisition notices for the City Properties Pvt Ltd site. "The owner of City Properties claimed his compensation and the premise was handed over to metro in November 2024," Sen stated.

Subsequently, three tenants operating five shops or tenancy spaces within the premises filed a writ petition before the Calcutta High Court. This petition was initially dismissed by Justice Aniruddha Roy on December 17, 2024, who directed the petitioners to vacate the land within six weeks and claim compensation from Metro Railway in accordance with the law.

The tenants then sought a stay by appealing to the division bench. After hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday, the high court bench dismissed the appeal. "The high court bench dismissed the appeal stating that tenants cannot object to the land acquisition as the land owner has agreed for acquisition and handed over the land to Metro Railway, which can vacate the premises with police assistance," the counsel concluded.