Parties seek air-strip removal from English Bazaar

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Nov. 26: When the Airports Authority of India is preparing to issue eviction notice to encroachers from the existing area of the Malda airstrip, political leaders here including that of the CPI-M, Congress and Trinamul Congress want the airport to shift from English Bazaar town altogether.

The AAI is currently constructing a boundary wall to protect its existing land. The district administration has also sent a proposal to the state government for acquisition of an additional 55 acres on the western side of the airport following the instruction of the state transport department and the Malda MP has been trying hard to obtain Central funds to revive the Malda airport.

But the political organisations, including the Congress, are not quite convinced with the idea. For instance, the English Bazaar Congress MLA, Mr Krishnendu Choudhury, reportedly does not want the airport in its present location. Earlier, when Mr Choudhury was the English Bazaar Municipality chairman, he had urged the district administration to earmark land outside the English Bazaar town to relocate the airport.

Although the former CPI-M MLA from English Bazaar, Mr Samar Roy, had urged the AAI and aviation minister to keep the airstrip in the existing position for the development of the district, the current CPI-M district secretary, Mr Jiban Moitra, want its relocation.

“The existing land should be handed over to Mr Goutam Deb, minister for state housing department, to build a planned new town. In exchange, the district administration should acquire land on the northern side of Malda town close to the Narayanpur industrial belt in old Malda along National Highway 34 for the relocation of the airstrip,” said Mr Jiban Moitra.

The district Trinamul president and vice-chairman of the English Bazaar Municipality, Mr Dulal Sarkar, said: “Following the district administration's instruction we are not permitting further extension of high-rises on either side of NH-34 for the Malda airstrip. But it is a difficult task and could lead to complications in future.”

The CPI-M MLA from old Malda, Mr Subhendu Choudhury, said: “We will be able to provide four times the size of the existing land of Malda airport if it is shifted to old Malda.”