Balurghat (WB), Sep 2 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday announced that the Balurghat airport in Dakshin Dinajpur district would become operational within a year.
Addressing reporters after chairing an administrative review meeting in Balurghat, Adhikari said the state government had handed over the airport to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
“We want to operate a 19-seater small flight in quick time. The Civil Aviation Ministry will apply for its licence. The airport will be operational within a year,” he said.
“But I am not satisfied with this. We have to operate a 72-seater ATR from this airport,” he added.
Adhikari said around 150 acres of additional land would have to be acquired to facilitate operations of larger aircraft and that he had entrusted the responsibility to the district magistrate.
The chief minister described the airport, university and proposed medical college as three “gifts” for Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur districts.
“BJP has a good vote bank in both these districts. I have come here with these three gifts,” he said.
On the university, Adhikari said it was currently functioning from an abandoned building with only three subjects and that a proposal had been made to introduce seven subjects.
“I think the VC is very dynamic. I will take up the matter by tomorrow and see that the Higher Education Department gives clearance in quick time,” he said.
Adhikari also announced plans to establish a medical college in the district, saying it would fulfil a long-standing aspiration of Union minister Sukanta Majumdar, the local MP.
“The infrastructure is already here. We need to provide some support to it,” he said.
The CM said the administrative building would be constructed and the existing nursing school converted into a college. The health infrastructure, including the existing 931-bed facility, would also be strengthened.
The number of ICU, ITU and SDU beds would be increased, and the existing blood bank strengthened, he said.
Adhikari said the medical college project would require an initial allocation of Rs 344 crore during the current financial year, of which he would initially sanction Rs 100 crore from the state budget.
The site selection process is under way, and Adhikari said he would return to the district after Lakshmi Puja for the groundbreaking.
During the administrative review meeting, the chief minister assessed the progress of development work undertaken in the district over the past four months.
He said 3 lakh women had benefited under the Annapurna Yojana, receiving Rs 3,000 per month, while 13,000 people had received the second instalment under the Paschim Banga Awas Yojana.
“As many as 501 houses had received solar panels under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar scheme, while 11 lakh Ayushman Bharat and Rs 5 lakh Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima cards had been distributed,” he said.
Adhikari said 81,000 additional job cards had been issued under the VB-RAM-G programme.
Road repair work under the three municipalities in the district would be completed by October 10, he said, adding that another fire station would be established, taking the total number to four.
The CM said development in north Bengal should cover all eight districts and not remain confined to any particular area.
“North Bengal does not mean a single district. We have to work evenly for the eight districts here,” he said.
Adhikari claimed the previous government had “severely tortured” the two districts during its tenure.
“Since 2019, both these districts have been voting for BJP,” he said, adding that the party would honour their trust. PTI SCH SOM
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.