KOLKATA (Metro Rail News): The West Bengal government’s committee examining proposals to rename roads, bridges and other public places is now planning to examine Kolkata Metro stations as well.
Netaji Bhavan Metro Station is one of the stations being considered. Netaji Bhavan has not been officially renamed. The station’s name is only under consideration by the committee at this stage. They are also considering the renaming of Mahanayak Uttam Kumar Station.
Both stations are located on the Blue Line of Kolkata Metro and are located in the Bhawanipore area (Netaji Bhavan) and Tollygunge ( Mahanayak Uttam Kumar Station).
Netaji Bhavan, originally known as Bhawanipore, was later renamed ‘‘Netaji Bhavan’’, reflecting its proximity to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s ancestral home and memorial.
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Tollygunge is closely associated with Bengali cinema and is home to several film studios. The station was renamed Mahanayak Uttam Kumar in honour of the legendary Bengali actor Shri Uttam Kumar, who is widely known as the ‘Mahanayak’ of Bengali cinema.
According to the report of Times of India, Senior BJP functionary and member of the panel Shri Tathagata Roy said, ” He would propose that metro stations named after famous persons be renamed based on their locations to avoid confusion among commuters. He wants Netaji Bhavan and Mahanayak UttaKumar stations to be reverted to their original names, Bhowanipore and Tollygunge, respectively.
Shri.Roy argued that Netaji Bhavan station is not located close to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s ancestral residence on Elgin Road and that using the locality name Bhowanipore could make the station easier for commuters to identify.
He also proposed the renaming of Hemanta Mukhopadhyay (Ruby Crossing),Jyotirindra Nandy(Mukundapur Crossing),Swapno Bhor(New Town). All three are on the Kolkata Metro Orange Line, which is planned to connect New Garia with the airport once the line is completed.
Shri. Roy also raised an issue with the name of Beleghata Metro Station on the Orange Line. He said that Beleghata station is actually located around Metropolitan on EM Bypass, away from the main Beleghata area.
Renaming Committee Chairperson Shri Swami Pradiptananda mentioned that the proposed changes were intended to address commuter difficulties, not for political reasons.
These are proposals by a member of the renaming panel, not approved station-name changes. The 10-member committee is expected to begin its formal work after Durga Puja, with road renaming proposals reportedly being taken up first.
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