We Won’t Appreciate State For Politicising Development Issue Beneficial For Common Man: Apex Court Pulls Up West Bengal Govt For Creating Roadblocks In Construction Of Kolkata Metro

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi, which dismissed a plea of the state government, asked the Calcutta High Court to monitor the construction of the project.

“We are only pointing out that the high court has been very magnanimous to you (state government). This was a fit case where your chief secretary, DGP and other authorities should have been subjected to some action.

“This shows complete dereliction of your constitutional duty. You are running away from your responsibilities. This is just an attempt to politicise an issue where there is no such issue. We would not appreciate the state government politicising a developmental issue, which is beneficial for the common man,” the CJI told the counsel appearing for the Bengal government.

CJI Kant said, "We must not politicise everything. This is a developmental issue. It is a facility for the common man. Don't create roadblocks."

When the counsel sought to argue that the state was under the model code of conduct for the upcoming elections, and that board examinations were underway, the bench pointed out that the high court order was of December 23, 2025, and said, "What prevented the state government from complying with the directions since then?"

Justice Bagchi said the Election Commission of India cannot object to this development project, which has been ongoing and is being monitored by the High Court.

"For you, festivals are more important than development. It is not that you are willing, you are duty-bound. You told the high court that you have festivals to take care of. Is a festival more important than the construction of a transport artery?

“We do not appreciate a democratically elected government knocking on the door of the court and asking for this to be ignored. The Election Commission will not have a difficulty in allowing the project. This was a project launched before the commencement of the model code of conduct. We will not allow the state to use this as a bogey to stall development again," Justice Bagchi said.

The counsel for the state government said the project cannot proceed as roads will be blocked for the construction, through which ambulances and emergency vehicles traverse.

She sought time till May to comply with the directions of the High Court, but the Apex Court refused to grant the prayer and said it would dismiss the appeal filed by the state government against the December 23, 2025, order.

The bench said, "This merely exhibits the obstinate attitude of the authorities, wherein they want to delay and stall the Metro rail project in Kolkata. There was no infirmity in the order passed by the high court; we are sure that the project is completed in a time-bound manner."

On December 23, the High Court expressed concern at the delay in the completion of the project connecting the IT hub of Sector V in Salt Lake with vast areas in south Kolkata, owing to an impasse over roadblock permission by the police, and directed that the work be completed by February 15, 2026.

It directed the state authorities to inform the Metro Railway by January 6, as to which three days, as required to complete the work at the busy Chingrighata crossing on the Eastern Metropolitan bypass, the traffic block will be given.

The Court directed that the work for completing the construction of the overhead Metro tracks be completed by February 15, 2026.

The petitioners in the PIL claimed that though work for the Metro line connecting Kavi Subhash with Sector V has mostly been completed, the impasse over construction at the Chingrighata crossing across the EM bypass has been pending for a long time.