West Bengal to get ₹29,000 crore boost UDAN: 4 new airports planned in 2 years; Naidu supports second charge in Calcutta | Today’s news
Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Monday announced plans to build four new airports in West Bengal over the next two years as the Center seeks to expand regional air connectivity and strengthen the state’s aviation infrastructure.
The airports are planned at Chharra in Purulia, Kalaikunda in Paschim Medinipur, Balurghat in Dakshin Dinajpur and Hasimara in Alipurduar, based on an agreement signed between the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the West Bengal government to implement the regional UDAN connectivity scheme, PTI reported.
Naidu said the Center aims to double the number of airports in West Bengal, with the four proposed facilities expected to increase the number of airports in the state from four to eight.
Hasimara and Kalaikunda already have 2,700 meter long airstrips which can be used for civil aviation operations. At Balurghat, the Airports Authority of India owns the land and the existing runway can be expanded to facilitate flight operations, Naidu said.
Said the minister ₹29,000 crore will be spent under UDAN in West Bengal over the next 10 years.
Read also | India’s UDAN system slows down: Only 4 new airports added this fiscal year
“Other states have doubled their number of airports in the last 12 years and it is only Bengal that is lagging behind,” Naidu said.
Kolkata’s second airport gets Centre’s support
The Center has also backed West Bengal’s plan for a second airport in Kolkata, amid growing demand for air connectivity and the city’s importance as an aviation hub for eastern India.
“I also want Kolkata to have a second airport. We will give it full support and work will start soon,” Naidu said.
The state has earmarked 2,000 acres in Kalyani as a replacement airport to complement the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari also urged the Center to include Malda and Cooch Behar in the next phase of airport development as full-fledged airports.
Naidu said the government would soon hold talks with airlines and other companies after Adhikari sought more direct international routes.
The minister said the existing airports in Kolkata, Durgapur, Bagdogra and Cooch Behar would also be strengthened.
₹29,000 crore UDAN investment over 10 years
Naidu said the first 10-year phase of the UDAN scheme has been modified and extended, with priority support set for West Bengal.
He also urged the state government to introduce a new civil aviation policy to attract investment in the sector.
“I would also request the West Bengal government to come up with a new civil aviation policy to attract investors,” Naidu said.
The minister said states that take steps to attract investment in aviation and manufacturing will receive the Centre’s support.
Naidu linked the expansion of airport infrastructure to the government’s broader efforts to create a domestic aerospace manufacturing ecosystem.
“We need to create a manufacturing ecosystem,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to build aircraft in India within the next two years.
Adhikari said the state was ready to provide land for airport development and reiterated the Kalyani airport proposal.
He also accused the previous TMC government of delaying airports and other infrastructure projects and alleged that land sought by the Center was not provided.
