Kolkata, Nov 7 (IANS): Most of the work in progress on Kolkata metro extension projects will be completed by the end of 2019 if things go on schedule, new Kolkata Metro General ManagerA Ajay Vijayvargiya said here on Monday.

Of the six projects involving additional 99.3 km at a sanctioned cost of Rs 21,811.52 crore, the Kavi Subhas-Hemanta Mukherjee (5.3 km) and Hemanta Mukherjee-Salt Lake Sector V (10km) phases of the Kavi Subhas-Airport Corridor have been targeted for completion by June 2019 and December 2019 respectively, he said at the CII Conference on 'Doing Business with Indian Railways'.

"The Noapara-Baranagar-Dakshinesdwar (3.93 km) stretch is supposed to be completed in June 2019, while the scheduled completion of the Joka-Majherhat (9 km) stretch is December 2019. The Noapara-Jessore Road (5.3 km) of the Noapara-Airport-Barasat project has been targeted for completion by 2019," he said.

Vijayvargiya lauded the state government for its initiatives in removing a lot of encroachments. "However, a few hurdles are yet to be crossed. Fifty hutments in Kamarhati Municipality (Neopara-Baranagar-Dakshineswar) have been removed recently," he said adding the rest is expected to be removed within a month, according to a CII release.

Harindra Rao, General Manager, Eastern Railway, said safety was getting utmost importance in Railways. "We are diverting materials meant for new projects to safety projects," he said.