Title: Need to speed up the doubling of Sonarpur-Canning railway line and upgrade Betberia Ghola Railway Station in West Bengal.
SHRI SANAT KUMAR MANDAL (JOYNAGAR): Upon recognizing the economic as well as tourism potential of the Sundarbans region, the work of doubling of the railway line between Sonarpur and Canning in the South Section under Sealdah Division (West Bengal) has been started and the First Phase (Sonarpur to Ghotiarisheriif) is complete. However, the Second Phase (Ghotiarisheriff to Canning) is yet to be started.
Sundarbans is the largest delta of the planet consisting large mangrove forests, world famous Royal Bengal Tigers, National Park housing a wide range of wild animals, attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world. Canning is the gateway of Sundarbans having tourism potential of hundreds of inland as well as foreign tourists since October of every year. Moreover, in the absence of double line, lot of hardships are experienced in the transportation of huge volumes of sea food, vegetables, dairy products, etc., produced in Sundarbans. In view of the revenue potential of the line and the Sundabans, the execution of the doubling work of Phase-II (Ghotiarisheriff to Canning) be expedited and the work relating to modernization of Canning Station be taken up.
There is a halt station namely Betberia Ghola, situated between Taldi and Ghotiarisheriff, in this railway line, running 12 pairs of trains daily. This halt station should be upgraded with facilities like ticket counter and other facilities available at normal stations. A large number of labourers and employees heading for Kolkata and boarding from this stations are facing lot of difficulties.
Therefore, I urge upon the Government to speed up the doubling of Sonarpur-Canning railway line modernization of Canning Station and the upgradation of Betberia Ghola Railway station in the public interest.