Feb. 27: The construction of two stations on two Metro routes, stuck in land logjam for years, will start within a few days.

The demolition of a three-storey building on Diamond Harbour Road in the Joka-BBD Bag Metro route was completed this morning.

A portion of the proposed Majerhat station would come up here but work could not start for almost five years because of the encroachment.

A fish market on EM Bypass where the proposed VIP Bazar station in the New Garia-Airport Metro corridor would come up has been vacated. Railway officials said the work to get 86 stalls vacated was completed last night.

Work at the site had been stuck for more than three years.

"Now that the hurdles have been cleared, we expect to start construction work this week," Rajesh Prasad, executive director, Metro, Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, said.

RVNL is the implementing agency for both the projects.

The contract for the proposed Majerhat station on the Esplanade-bound flank of Diamond Harbour Road was awarded to Gammon India in April 2012, Prasad said.

But work couldn't start because of the three-storey building, which housed the office of a voluntary organisation.

The plot of land belonged to Calcutta Port Trust and the port authorities had asked the organisation in vain to vacate the building, a railway official said.

The state government had provided the organisation with a plot at Taratala and RVNL bore the cost of a new building there.

Despite that, the organisation refused to vacate the three-storey building, the official alleged.

Police sealed the building in the first week of this month and issued an eviction notice, following which the office-bearers of the organisation shifted their belongings from there, the official said.

The demolition started last week and was completed this morning.

The contract for building the proposed VIP Bazar station was awarded to ITD-ITD Cem three years ago but work could not start because of the fish market.

"The stall owners have been provided with an alternative place nearby. A new building has been built and the process of relocation has started," Alapan Bandyopadhyay, the state's transport secretary, said.

The work to get the site vacated had started about a week ago and it got over last night.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee had intervened in both the cases to resolve the stalemate.

RVNL officials said it would take about 18-24 months for both the stations to come up.

In the Joka-BBD Bag project, an old age home that has stalled the construction of tracks at Majerhat, will be demolished within a month. An alternative building has been constructed nearby.

In the New Garia-Airport project, construction of the proposed New Garia station and depot has stopped since January 7 because of land logjam.