The Nepalese consulate general in Calcutta has agreed to part with a slice of land inside its Ekbalpore compound for the construction of the underground section of the Purple Line, the upcoming Joka-BBD Bag corridor.

The consulate stands at the intersection of Diamond Harbour Road and National Library Avenue.

“The land measures 409sqm. In exchange, the consulate general is being given an adjacent piece of land measuring 526.34sqm,” said a Metro official.

The Purple Line is currently operational between Joka and Majerhat. The line goes underground from Mominpore, the next station, and the entire Joka-Esplanade stretch will be underground. A memorandum of understanding was signed on Monday between the Nepal consulate general, Metro Railway and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), the executing agency of the corridor.

Metro officials said the MoU was required to expedite construction of the underground link. “This land is urgently required for construction of the ramp between Mominpore and Kidderpore of the proposed Purple Line project,” said the Metro official.

Sources said Metro Railway purchased the larger plot from a private entity before the exchange.

The consul general of Nepal in Calcutta, Jhakka Prasad Acharya, along with senior Metro and RVNL officials, was present at the signing of the MoU.