The state government has put the horse before the cart with its plan to build a walkalator between Dakshineswar Metro station and Dakshineswar temple, although the Noapara-Baranagar-Barrackpore route is in limbo because of squatters and other hurdles.

Although the Metro link is stuck because of land and other problems, the state urban development department has sought JNNURM funds for the walkalator from the Centre.

“We are planning to lay the foundation stone on January 1, coinciding with Kalpataru Utsab. We are waiting for the Union urban development ministry’s nod,” said Firhad Hakim, the state urban development minister.

The minister said RITES has already studied the project’s viability, while Metro rail sources said construction of the station was on.

Mamata Banerjee had announced the Noapara-Baranagar-Barrackpore project when she was railway minister. Work started in January 2011 but soon ran into rough weather.

The project has tripped on a redundant 12.5km water pipeline that the Trinamul-run CMC is yet to discard. Around 500 families have encroached upon land near Dakshineswar and they were yet to be evicted.

Hakim said the shopkeepers and hawkers on both sides of the road leading to the temple would be relocated. “A shopping complex with parking facilities on the ground floor will be built where the shopkeepers would be shifted. Since elderly people and women visit the area, escalators would be set up,” he said.