Mamata-Antony meeting on important Bengal projects

Kolkata, Aug 18 (IANS) Defence Minister A.K. Antony had an 80-minute meeting Saturday with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on issues like Ganges riverfront beautification, a metro project and a drinking water scheme where army land is involved.

"We discussed the Ganges riverfront beautification project, Joka-BBD Bag Metro project in Kolkata and Balason water supply project in Darjeeling," Banerjee told media persons after the meeting at the state secretariat, Writers' Buildings, here.

Banerjee's pet project of Riverfront Beautification Project along the Ganga on the lines of Thames riverfront in London, has been stalled due to objections raised by the army which owns the land.

Army consent was also needed on certain stretches of the Joka-BBD Bag Metro project route.

The state public health engineering department has already completed two reservoirs as part of the Rs.56 crore Balason project to supply water to Darjeeling town.

However, with the army having a camp at Jalapahar, its permission was needed to lay the pipeline between Senchal lake and Rockville for distributing the water in the Darjeeling municipal areas.

There was also speculation that Anthony discussed the issue of FDI in retail with Banerjee, but the chief minister was tightlipped on it.

"The meeting went on very well. That's why it continued for 80 minutes," said Railway Minister Mukul Roy, who was present during the talks.