Kolkata: Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday alleged that lack of cooperation from the state government has been posing major hurdles for airports’ development in the state and highlighted several instances for the same.
The BJP leader pointed out how “lack of cooperation” from the state government had been holding back the expansion of the biggest airport in the state, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
Adhikari pointed out that prolonged efforts from the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to get land for the expansion of infrastructure at the said airport had failed to evoke any positive response from the state government.
“For this, they sought assistance for the relocation of the mosque located at the secondary runway (19-R) and assistance for the construction of the operational boundary wall near the ‘mazar’. The government of West Bengal did not respond,” the Leader of the Opposition said.
Adhikari also claimed that several letters from former civil aviation ministers to the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for land allocation to build a second airport near Kolkata, failed to evoke any positive response.
According to the leader of the opposition, even the state government refused to extend cooperation in responding positively to the Union government’s plea for assistance for Behala Airport on the southern outskirts of Kolkata by seeking diversion of the city road passing through the land of Airports Authority of India (AAI).
“There are issues related to land acquisition for the development of all the Airports mentioned above. The state government has not shown any positive intent to settle the issue,” Adhikari added.
He also emphasised that the state government should resolve all these issues related to land acquisition so that West Bengal gets the best air connectivity.
“It will certainly boost the grim investment scenario that is plaguing the state and improve the industrialisation opportunities,” the BJP leader said.
(IANS)
