Kolkata, Oct 5 (PTI) Four new airports will come up in West Bengal over the next two years under an agreement with the Centre, Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Monday, urging the state government to frame a new civil aviation policy to attract investment and expand the sector.
An MoU for implementation of the regional connectivity scheme UDAN was signed at state secretariat ‘Nabanna’ in the presence of Naidu and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
According to the agreement, the four new airports will be constructed in Hasimara, Kalaikunda, Balurghat and Chharra.
Of these, Hasimara and Kalaikunda have existing 2,700-metre airstrips that can be utilised for civil aviation operations, Naidu said.
“Other states, in the last 12 years, have doubled their number of airports and it is only Bengal that is lagging behind. I assure the people of Bengal that in the next two years, we will double the four airports and make it eight,” he asserted.
“Like proactive states have a civil aviation policy, I would suggest the West Bengal government to come up with a new policy keeping in mind the aspirations of people. This will also woo more investors to the state,” Naidu said.
The minister said the Centre will support states that take steps to attract investment in aviation and manufacturing.
“We have to create a manufacturing ecosystem,” Naidu said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of building an aircraft in the country within the next two years.
Naidu said the first 10-year phase of UDAN had been modified and extended, with West Bengal set to receive priority support.
He also hailed Adhikari for taking initiatives to expand aviation infrastructure soon after assuming office. “Today’s historic MoU will fulfill the dreams of the people of Bengal,” Naidu said.
The minister alleged that the previous government had kept people away from the benefits of several central schemes.
“In the last 10-12 years, Modi ji tried to help Bengal in every possible manner. But, it is unfortunate that the previous government denied people the opportunity to benefit from central schemes. Suvendu ji is trying to bring things back on track,” he said.
“We tried to sign this MoU much before, and had hopes to build these airports much earlier, but that didn’t materialise,” he said.
Naidu said that at Balurghat, where the Airports Authority of India has land, the existing airstrip can be expanded to begin operations.
“If you see the population of Bengal and its geography, the people here have the desire to travel by plane. Travelling in planes has become an aspiration in ‘New India’,” he said.
Naidu also said the existing airports at Kolkata, Durgapur, Bagdogra and Cooch Behar would be strengthened.
A new terminal at Bagdogra is expected to open next year, and the existing infrastructure would also be developed to improve connectivity, he said.
Naidu said Kolkata had historically served as a hub for eastern India, and that international connectivity from the metropolis needed to be enhanced.
“Suvendu ji today gave us a letter on connectivity. We will have to work to boost international connectivity from Kolkata,” he said.
Following Adhikari’s request for direct international flights, particularly to Europe, Naidu said the Centre would soon meet companies to explore the possibility.
“I also want Kolkata to have a second airport. We will extend full support for that and work will soon start,” he said.
He also supported the development of a flying training organisation at Behala in Kolkata, saying the country’s growing aviation sector would require a larger pool of trained pilots.
“There is an airstrip in Behala, which is ideal to set up one flying training organisation,” Naidu said.
Naidu said pilot training infrastructure needed to be strengthened within the country so that aspiring pilots would not have to go abroad for it.
The chief minister said the state was ready to provide land for airport development, and had identified 2,000 acres at Kalyani for a subsidiary alternate airport to the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
Adhikari also urged the Centre to include Malda and Cooch Behar in the next phase of airport development as full-fledged airports.
He criticised the previous TMC government, alleging that its failure to provide land had delayed airport construction, including a second one in Kolkata, and other infrastructure projects.
“Even though the central government asked for land, the previous government did not provide it. The signing of this agreement was stalled for so long because of this negative attitude,” he asserted. PTI SCH RBT
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