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The government of Nepal has given its approval for a land swap between its Consulate General in Kolkata and the Indian Railway Development Corporation. This move is aimed at making it easier to carry out the construction of Kolkata Metro's Purple Line project.

Nepal's Minister for Communication and Information Technology and government spokesperson, Jagadish Kharel announced on Friday that the cabinet has approved a land swap between the Consulate General of Nepal in Kolkata and the Indian Railway Development Corporation Limited. Under the agreement, 409.53 square metres of land owned by Nepal's consulate in Kolkata will be exchanged for 526.34 square metres of land owned by the Indian Railway Development Corporation. According to Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two plots of land are adjacent to each other.

A senior official from Nepal’s foreign ministry told- "The land swap is intended to support India’s critical infrastructure development. “It is a win-win deal,” the official said on condition of anonymity. The Indian side will be able to construct its essential railway infrastructure, while Nepal will receive a larger plot of land in the adjoining area in return. Currently, a building stands on the consulate land being swapped, and the Indian side has also agreed to build a larger and improved facility on the land that Nepal will acquire,” IANS reported.

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The official also added that India had been requesting a solution for some time, as the planned alignment of the Kolkata Metro’s Purple Line passes through land owned by Nepal’s Consulate General. Discussions between the two sides on the matter reportedly took place in July this year. Reports indicate that around 60 metres of the Purple Line’s 450-metre ramp is set to be constructed next to the existing premises of the Nepal Consulate.

The Joka–Esplanade corridor also known as Purple Line, is one of Kolkata Metro’s recent projects. It has been designed to improve connectivity in southern Kolkata and provide better access to central business districts, easing travel for thousands of passengers in the city. By facilitating the land swap, Nepal has played a significant role in enabling the timely completion of this important metro project, while also securing a larger and enhanced facility for its consulate in Kolkata.

With inputs from IANS

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