Buddhadeb announces airports at Barrackpore, Kanchrapara

Stressing the need to have small airports in the state, West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Wednesday announced the plans to have two more small airports at Kanchrapara and Barrackpore areas near Kolkata.

The proposed sites for the airports are currently occupied by the Indian Air Force, which has agreed to lease out land to private parties interested in building airports for civil use, according to the chief minster.

Speaking at the 120th annual general meeting for the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bhattacharjee further informed that another small airport at the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal would be operational by November this year, and the proposal to have a new airport at Andal near the emerging industrial hub of Durgapur has got Centre's nod.

"Recently we have finalised the plans for the improvement of the Dumdum airport. The capacity expansion will enable us to handle the cargo and passenger traffic till 2050. We have to think of another greenfield airport," said Bhattacharjee.

The Union ministry for civil aviation has also assured the chief minister of giving nod to Lufthansa Airlines to operate daily direct flights from Kolkata to Frankfurt.

Also, Air France had expressed its willingness to start direct flights from Kolkata to Paris, the chief minster said.

The state would get a new deep sea port in the next tow to three years, the chief minister informed.

"The proposal to have a deep sea port has been finalised by the shipping ministry at the Centre. A consultant has been appointed for identifying the area. Something will come up within the next two to three years," he said.

The chief minister in his speech also said the proposal to shift the location of the proposed chemical hub from Nandigram to Nayachar had been sent to the Union ministry for fertilisers.

"We are setting up a chemical hub across 11,000 acre of land at Nayachar. We have sent the proposal to the Union ministry for fertlisers. The mother plant will be set up by the Indian Oil Corporation, who will be the anchor investor of the project," reiterated the chief minister.

He also said the chemical hub would lead to growth of polymer and plastic industries in the state. He also invited entrepreneurs to set up a plastic hub at Haldia.