Centre may tweak Bengal wildlife stretch to fast-track Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway
With the Mamata Banerjee government gone and a freshly elected BJP government in place, the Centre is now looking to fast-track the process, as the Bengal cabinet's repeated demands for revisions to the original alignment had slowed down the ambitious project for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone in 2024.
The Centre is looking to speed up the Rs 35,000 crore Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway project, though environmental concerns and delays linked to the alignment, land and wildlife clearances in West Bengal could lead to changes in parts of the proposed route, government sources told India Today.
With the Mamata Banerjee government gone and a freshly elected BJP government in place, the Centre is now looking to fast-track the process, as the Bengal cabinet’s repeated demands for revisions to the original alignment had slowed down the ambitious project for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone in 2024.
The 610-km six-lane greenfield corridor, also called the Kashi-Bengal Expressway, is expected to improve freight movement and connectivity across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Once the expressway becomes operational, travel time between Varanasi and Kolkata is expected to come down from 12-14 hours to about six hours. The corridor is also expected to connect major economic and cultural centres, including Varanasi, Gaya, Ranchi and Kolkata, and improve logistics efficiency, trade and regional economic activity across eastern India.
Government sources said progress in the other states is moving much faster than in West Bengal. "Work in Uttar Pradesh is nearly 50 per cent complete, construction activity is ongoing in Bihar, and forest clearances have already been received in Jharkhand," a source said. The Bengal stretch, however, remains behind schedule because of alignment revisions, land acquisition processes and environmental clearances.
Sources told India Today that the Centre is considering contingency options, including possible changes to parts of the Bengal alignment, if wildlife-related concerns are not addressed in time. Officials said issues linked to wildlife movement and forests in parts of West Bengal have emerged as major concerns during the clearance process. In this scenario, government sources told India Today that the Centre may tweak the Bengal route amid wildlife concerns.
The proposed alignment passes through parts of Purulia, Bankura, Pashchim Medinipur, Hooghly and Howrah districts. To address ecological concerns, the National Highways Authority of India has proposed multiple wildlife underpasses along the route.
When the issue was raised last August in the Rajya Sabha, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said construction work had already been awarded in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, but progress in West Bengal had slowed after the state government sought revisions to the original alignment.
Gadkari said the original Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata alignment was approved by the Centre and received consent from the West Bengal government on January 3, 2023. He added that the revised alignment sought by the state government was approved only in October 2024, delaying further execution processes.
The minister also told Parliament that land acquisition notifications had been completed in Purulia, Bankura and Hooghly districts, while preparation of the Detailed Project Report for the Bengal stretch was under process. Despite these hurdles, officials said the Centre remained keen to speed up execution of the corridor, particularly after recent political developments in West Bengal improved the prospects for faster coordination between the state and the Centre.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project in February 2024. With the completion date set for March 2028, the expressway is expected to become a key economic corridor linking eastern and northern India, while also complementing the Grand Trunk Road network. Even as work continues in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, the pace of the project will depend on how quickly the pending issues in West Bengal are resolved.
The Centre is looking to speed up the Rs 35,000 crore Varanasi-Kolkata Expressway project, though environmental concerns and delays linked to the alignment, land and wildlife clearances in West Bengal could lead to changes in parts of the proposed route, government sources told India Today.
With the Mamata Banerjee government gone and a freshly elected BJP government in place, the Centre is now looking to fast-track the process, as the Bengal cabinet’s repeated demands for revisions to the original alignment had slowed down the ambitious project for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone in 2024.
The 610-km six-lane greenfield corridor, also called the Kashi-Bengal Expressway, is expected to improve freight movement and connectivity across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Once the expressway becomes operational, travel time between Varanasi and Kolkata is expected to come down from 12-14 hours to about six hours. The corridor is also expected to connect major economic and cultural centres, including Varanasi, Gaya, Ranchi and Kolkata, and improve logistics efficiency, trade and regional economic activity across eastern India.
Government sources said progress in the other states is moving much faster than in West Bengal. "Work in Uttar Pradesh is nearly 50 per cent complete, construction activity is ongoing in Bihar, and forest clearances have already been received in Jharkhand," a source said. The Bengal stretch, however, remains behind schedule because of alignment revisions, land acquisition processes and environmental clearances.
Sources told India Today that the Centre is considering contingency options, including possible changes to parts of the Bengal alignment, if wildlife-related concerns are not addressed in time. Officials said issues linked to wildlife movement and forests in parts of West Bengal have emerged as major concerns during the clearance process. In this scenario, government sources told India Today that the Centre may tweak the Bengal route amid wildlife concerns.
The proposed alignment passes through parts of Purulia, Bankura, Pashchim Medinipur, Hooghly and Howrah districts. To address ecological concerns, the National Highways Authority of India has proposed multiple wildlife underpasses along the route.
When the issue was raised last August in the Rajya Sabha, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said construction work had already been awarded in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, but progress in West Bengal had slowed after the state government sought revisions to the original alignment.
Gadkari said the original Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata alignment was approved by the Centre and received consent from the West Bengal government on January 3, 2023. He added that the revised alignment sought by the state government was approved only in October 2024, delaying further execution processes.
The minister also told Parliament that land acquisition notifications had been completed in Purulia, Bankura and Hooghly districts, while preparation of the Detailed Project Report for the Bengal stretch was under process. Despite these hurdles, officials said the Centre remained keen to speed up execution of the corridor, particularly after recent political developments in West Bengal improved the prospects for faster coordination between the state and the Centre.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project in February 2024. With the completion date set for March 2028, the expressway is expected to become a key economic corridor linking eastern and northern India, while also complementing the Grand Trunk Road network. Even as work continues in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, the pace of the project will depend on how quickly the pending issues in West Bengal are resolved.
