‘Efforts on to open 3 new metro lines next week'
Kumar was in town to review the readiness of the three new metro stretches: Green Line's last leg or the East-West Metro's 2.6 km between Esplanade and Sealdah, Yellow Line's first phase or the 7 km Noapara-Airport, and the Orange Line's Phase II or the 4.5 km Ruby-Metropolitan sections. Responding to reporters' queries on when the three new metro lines would open, he replied, "Soon." He later indicated that efforts were on to launch the lines next week.
The metro authorities are planning to have the PM's event at the Yellow Line's Jessore Road Metro station, sources said. Satish Kumar visited the metro station, accompanied by Metro Railway GM P Uday Kumar Reddy and other officials. Earlier, the authorities had thought of organising the programme in either Sealdah or the Airport metro station. But both are underground stations and security hazards, sources said.
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The Yellow Line's surface station on Jessore Road was more suited to the PMO's specifications, they said.
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PM Modi is due to flag off the three metro lines on the morning of Aug 22. Later that day, Modi is expected to inaugurate the 1,320 MW Buxar thermal power project in Bihar's Chausa.
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