Mamata seeks more airports in West Bengal

Stating that West Bengal is emerging as a growing destination for investment and industry, Chief Minster Mamata Banerjee urged the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to allow more flights to operate from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBI) in the city and set up more airports in different parts of the State.

Ms Banerjee, who was participating in an event to inaugurate the new integrated terminal at the airport, urged the AAI to allow night landing facility at the Bagdogra Airport in north Bengal.

“More airports should be set up at other places like Cooch Behar where government has plans to invest Rs 25 crore… We want places like Balurghat, Malda, Sunderbans, Digha to have an airport or a helicopter facility,” Ms Banerjee said.

During the event K N Srivastava, secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation raised the issue of poor drainage facilities resulting in the flooding of the NSCBI airport.

“I discussed the issue with Saugata Da (Saugata Roy MP). It is a small matter and we will do the necessary work from the funds allotted from the JNURM scheme,” she said.

Ms Banerjee said that her government is willing to extend all cooperation to the operation for the new terminal and demanded that the Centre should extend its full cooperation to Bengal as it is going to be the destination of the world.

 Speaking at the event, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ajit Singh said the new integrated terminal has a capacity of handling 16 million domestic passengers and four million international passengers annually.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/mamata-seeks-more-airports-in-west-bengal/article4327726.ece