Centre wants to build 2nd airport for Kolkata, state not giving land: Jyotiraditya Scindia
Kolkata, Feb 6: Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday said that the Centre has elaborate infrastructure development plans for West Bengal including a second airport for Kolkata, but the Mamata Banerjee government has not yet provided land for it.
Scindia claimed that he has been asking for a dialogue with the chief minister for six months for the purpose of setting up a second airport since the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport has reached its capacity, but there has been no response from the other side so far.
"We want a new airport to be built in Kolkata, the existing one is at present running at maximum capacity and for several years, letters and views are being exchanged for a new site, but no concrete step has come from the state government," he told reporters at a press conference here.
Maintaining that his ministry has elaborate plans for the development of civil aviation in West Bengal, Scindia asked how work for the proposed new airport would commence "until land is made available" to the Airports Authority of India.
"We are investing Rs 700 crore for the present (NSCBI) airport. A new technical block cum control tower will be made operational at a cost of Rs 300 crore," he said, adding that a new taxiway is being built for Rs 265 crore.
The minister said that Rs 110 crore is being invested for connecting the Metro Railway with the airport terminal building.
A two-lakh square metre new airport needs to come up to cater to the rising number of passengers to and from this eastern metropolis, he said.
Scindia said that while the present airport has a throughput of 2.5 crore people, the new airport's terminal building should have a throughput of 3.5 crore.
"At present, the airport has 8,600 passenger capacity per day, we want that a new terminal building is built with capacity for 10,000 to 11,000 passengers per day," he said, maintaining that these plans can only be fructified if the state government cooperates and works together.
The West Bengal government has decided to construct a second airport in the vicinity of Kolkata, with an aim to decongest the NSCBI Airport, and Bhangar in neighbouring South 24 Parganas district is among the possible locations, an official had said last month.
The situation is similar for Bagdogra airport near Siliguri in north Bengal where the state government was dilly-dallying on handing over land for its augmentation, Scindia claimed.
"The central government has written to the state several times for early handing over of land, but there is no reply.... The (state) government is stuck in files," he said.
He urged the chief minister to work in tandem with the Centre for development of the state.
"For the last six months I have been trying to hold discussion with the chief minister so that we can move forward on these important issues," he said.
Claiming that there is lack of will in the Mamata Banerjee government, he said how the Centre alone can carry out these projects if the state does not come forward.
Asserting that Banerjee's claim that the common man got zero in the Union Budget for 2022-2023 was far from the truth, Scindia said that the central government will infuse Rs 1.5 lakh crore in West Bengal alone in the next three years for infrastructure development.
Scindia claimed that the Trinamool Congress-ruled state's rate of inflation was 8.7 per cent in 2020-21, while the national average was 6.2 per cent for the same period.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
