Cloud over Didi’s district air-link plan

The fate of other proposed airports,including Behala,Malda and Balurghat,also hangs in balance as the state government is yet to take a call on the project proposals and reports of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Fund crunch and land issues have become stumbling blocks.

The Coochbehar-Kolkata air service was suspended as the flight operator is yet to get its licence cleared from the government of India. In Balurghat and Malda,the AAI has asked for more land to make the airports functional.

The Kolkata-Coochbehar air service was flagged off by Mamata on July 19 but in the last four months,the flight operated only for 10 days when it was supposed to fly at least four times a week.

A senior AAI official said the authority is spending Rs 12 lakh per month on the airport. “We have tried to revive all non-functional airports in eastern India. Though Coochbehar is a loss-making airport,we have invested a lot of money to make it functional. But it seems our investment is not worth it as flights are not landing at the airport.”

The official said at least 10 officials from Kolkata have been permanently posted there. “We are bearing their cost with the hope that the air service will resume. The state government has not told us why the service has been suspended. The private operator has also not communicated anything to us.”

Captain Mani,managing director of North East Shuttles,the private operator,said: “We had announced that we would start our air services between Kolkata and Coochbehar from November 1 and we will operate four times a week. But the government is yet to clear the licences. Our aircraft is ready to fly.”

The operator is yet to get licences for two pilots,which has led to the suspension of air services.

Mamata had also announced that the airports at Malda and Balurghat will start functioning soon. However,AAI officials claimed land has become a major issue at these two airports.

“We completed our survey at Malda and Balurghat and submitted our proposal to the state government long ago. To start these airports,we need land but the state government is sitting on the proposals,” the AAI official said.

“As far as Behala is concerned,we started building boundary walls as the area is populated and we needed to restrict the movement of local people. But local councillors protested and work was put hold. We will not able to start air services there till the movement of locals is restricted,” the official said.