Kolkata, Jul 20 (PTI) Alleging that a nexus between syndicates and a section of the police had destroyed West Bengal’s public transport infrastructure during the previous TMC regime, Transport Minister Arjun Singh on Monday said the BJP government was taking steps to revive the sector, including restoring tram services in Kolkata.
Replying to a discussion in the assembly on the Transport Department’s budget, Singh said the government has ordered 450 new buses for state transport undertakings, while RITES has been entrusted with conducting a survey for the revival of Kolkata’s tram services.
He announced plans to operate 3,000 luxury buses connecting West Bengal with other parts of the country.
He said bus terminals across the state would be modernised with improved passenger amenities, claiming that Kolkata’s transport system would be transformed into one comparable with that of London.
Claiming that wrong decisions and policies of the previous TMC regime severely affected the public transport sector, he alleged that illegal syndicates and extortion rackets siphoned off a large portion of the revenue that should have accrued to the government.
He said bus services had become defunct in several areas because of the illegal operation of shared autos, seriously affecting the Transport Department’s earnings.
The minister alleged that around 4,000 trucks were found operating without registration in Birbhum district alone and said penalties amounting to Rs 40 lakh were recovered in a single day.
He also said government transport undertakings had purchased buses that became unusable within six years and were eventually condemned.
“An investigation will be conducted to identify those responsible for such purchases,” Singh said.
Also criticising the earlier Left Front government, he said there was no Communism in their actions.
He alleged that the syndicate culture had originated during the CPI(M) regime and flourished under the Trinamool Congress.
The Assembly later passed a budgetary allocation of Rs 3,004 crore for the Transport Department for 2026-27.
Singh said Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had directed the department to improve the state’s public transport system, which he described as being in poor condition.
The minister also said the government had implemented its promise of free bus travel for women on state-run buses, adding that the scheme has cost the exchequer Rs 1.34 crore since its launch on June 1. PTI AMR SOM
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