PM Modi lays foundation stone for Rs 1,550 cr expansion of Bagdogra Airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the expansion of the Bagdogra Airport near Siliguri in northern West Bengal at a cost of Rs 1,550 crore.

This was among 23 development projects worth Rs 6,700 crore unveiled by PM Modi virtually from a function in Varanasi.

The new civil enclave at the Bagdogra Airport will have a terminal building, spanning 70,390 sqm, that will accommodate 3,000 peak hour passengers (PHP), with an annual capacity to handle 10 million passengers, officials said.

Other key components of the project include an apron capable of accommodating 10 parking bays suitable for A-321 type aircraft, as well as two link taxiways and a multi-level car parking, they said.

The new terminal building will be environment-friendly, integrating renewable energy sources and maximising natural lighting to minimise ecological footprint, they added.

The Union Cabinet had approved the project in August.

The Bagdogra Airport, situated 14 km away from Siliguri, is a key aviation hub in northern West Bengal, handling around 60 flights and about 8,000 passengers daily.

It has recently been designated as a point-of-call (PoC) airport, allowing it to host international flights without prior approval from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

PM Modi announces projects worth Rs 6,700 crore in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced or inaugurated developmental projects worth Rs 6,700 crore here.

He made the announcements from Sports Complex, Sigra, in his parliamentary constituency.

Earlier, Modi inaugurated RJ Sankara eye hospital being run by the Kanchi Math.

The hospital will benefit people of 20 districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh as well as those living in the border areas of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, according to people associated with the Kanchi Math.

Among the projects, 16 development projects worth over Rs 3,200 crore are in Varanasi.

The PM also laid the foundation stone for extension of runway, construction of a new terminal building and allied work to be done Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi at a cost of approximately Rs 2,870 crore.