West Bengal will develop four airports under the Centre’s UDAN regional connectivity scheme, with the state government set to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Airports Authority of India on September 28, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Sunday.
The proposed airports will be located at Chharra in Purulia, Balurghat in South Dinajpur, Hasimara in Alipurduar and Kalaikunda in West Midnapore. The state government will hand over the land required for the projects to the Airports Authority of India, according to the announcement.
The Chharra airport project near Purulia town is expected to involve an investment of Rs 2,000 crore. Adhikari said the state Transport Secretary and senior AAI officials had already visited the proposed site and held meetings regarding the domestic airport.
“The new aviation infrastructure will significantly boost tourism, trade and industrial growth in the district,” Adhikari said while addressing the first administrative meeting of the BJP government in Purulia.
The airport proposal places Purulia within a wider transport and economic development plan for the district. The state government is also promoting religious tourism and has said Purulia is being integrated into West Bengal’s tourism network. The chief minister referred to the Vande Bharat Express connection to the ‘Rupasi Bangla’ circuit while outlining the district’s tourism potential.
The announcement also included plans to attract investments worth Rs 1 lakh crore to Purulia over the next five years. Steel, cement, defence and solar energy have been identified as priority sectors. Adhikari said the district had substantial potential for solar power generation and that the government had already received several proposals for solar projects.
The proposed aviation infrastructure is being announced alongside industrial activity in the district. The chief minister referred to the recent foundation stone laying for a Rs 4,000-crore greenfield steel plant by Amit Metaliks at Raghunathpur. The state has also said it will protect Purulia’s hills and forests and prohibit commercial excavation in the region.
Other initiatives announced for Purulia include expanding the Surulia Mini Zoo into a larger zoo with dedicated leopard enclosures and establishing a conservation zone in the Jungle Mahal region. Adhikari said the state had approved the conservation proposal and that a formal announcement would follow.
The district’s housing and welfare measures were also discussed at the administrative meeting. According to the chief minister, two lakh new houses have been approved under the Awas Scheme, while 16,000 beneficiaries have already received their second instalment. More than 6.56 lakh women in Purulia have received financial assistance under the Annapurna Scheme through direct benefit transfers.
The September 28 MoU with the AAI is the next formal milestone for the four-airport plan. The state’s land handover and subsequent project development will determine how the proposed facilities move from announcement to implementation.
