Newstrack

Bengal to get a new airport near Durgapur

No need for a second airport in Kolkata: Patel

EAW Staff

In a bid to promote smaller cities in Indian, Praful Patel, the Union civil aviation minister announced in Kolkata plans to build a new airport at Ondal near Durgapur in Burdwan district of West Bengal. The proposed site is 175 kilometres from Kolkata. The proposed airport, which will be built over an area of 2,300 acres would entail an initial investment of Rs 10,000 crore. The airport itself covering 1,000 acres will initially have one terminal, with two cross-runways and will accommodate 50-seat to 70-seat aircrafts.

Sources indicate that a consortium of private companies and government undertakings consisting of Asansol Durgapur Development Authority (ADDA) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) will execute the project on a turnkey-basis. Nirupam Sen, West Bengal's Commerce & Industries Minister, added that besides the airport, a township and an IT Park would also be built adjacent to the airport. The details of the partnership are not known yet.

"Apart from decongesting Dum Dum International Airport, the new airport will also usher in massive development of the industrial belt," an industry expert pointed out. Speaking on the sidelines of a management convention held in the city, Patel said, "We would want the work at Kolkata airport to progress along with the modernisation projects of other metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The Delhi-Mumbai projects are slated for completion by July 2010, while the Bangalore-Hyderabad projects are expected to be completed by March 2008."

Patel added, "Our endeavour is to start the Kolkata Airport modernisation project by January 2008 so that most of the work can be over by 2010 itself."

Patel also emphasised that it would have been better if like the Mumbai and Delhi airport modernisation projects, Kolkata had toed the private-public-partnership (PPP) model.

But he added that since the West Bengal government has inhibitions over the PPP model, the Centre decided not to ignore the state's reservations. "But it will be our duty to ensure that Kolkata does not lag behind," said the minister.

Meanwhile, the civil aviation minister has yet again rejected the possibility of setting up a second 'greenfield' airport near Kolkata. He is learnt to have told during his meeting with Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the state chief minister that the traffic projection for Kolkata airport is around 20 million, whereas that of Mumbai and New Delhi is about 50 million. The Union civil aviation ministry, thus, feels a second airport in Kolkata is not an immediate necessity.

Patel also added that a new airstrip is being constructed at the Behala Flying Club in the city and the existing 'non-operational' airport at Cooch Behar is being revamped thoroughly. Air Deccan would start services from there shortly.