Andal airport takeoff likely in mid-2013

Andal (Durgapur): The airport was initially scheduled to take off in 2011 but a bitter wrangle with Coal India Ltd kept it grounded for months and delayed the project by a year. Even as construction of the runway, terminal building, air traffic control tower and other facilities is under way full swing with promoters Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL) and strategic investor Changi Airports International target 2012-end as the new deadline, there are several niggling issues that are yet to be sorted out before operations commence at the airport.
To begin with, land remains an unresolved issue at the project site. Though the promoters forfeited claim over 144 acre in the project that was originally pegged at 2,300 acre, BAPL currently has been handed 1,818 acre. While BAPL expects to get an additional 164 acre of defence land, there is a question mark over 192 acre in which acquisition process did not get completed before the change in government.
Top BAPL offiicials said the 192 acre in question is crucial to the project for not just a good access to the township from National Highway 2 but also building the six-lane arterial road that cuts through the proposed township, connecting NH 2 with the airport.
11/02/12 Subhro Niyogi/Times of India

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Categories: airports Feb 2012, New Feb 2012