Parties seek air-strip removal from English Bazaar

Malda: 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.
26/11/08 The Statesman

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Categories: Airports Nov 2008