State to give another 99 acres of land to Bagdogra Airport: Mamata

Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee government has decided to handover another 99 acres of land to the Bagdogra Airport authorities for its further expansion and modernisation.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has made the announcement after the cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

"We have decided to give another 99 acres of land to Bagdogra Airport authorities. It will help in expansion of

the airport in a better way

and it will also turn to an

international airport," Banerjee said.

The state government had earlier handed over 104 acres of land for expansion of Bagdogra Airport.

It was on September 30 when the Chief Minister had handed over the land to the Bagdogra Airport authorities. Banerjee had handed over the land to the airport authorities during her visit to Siliguri for administrative review meeting at Uttar Kanya.

Beside Bengal, the expansion and modernisation of the airport will also benefit Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim. The need of expansion was felt with manifold increase in passengers at the airport with north Bengal turning up to a major tourism spot with a series of steps

taken by the Mamata Banerjee government in the past nine years.

The expansion work will be carried out at a cost of at least Rs 500 crore and would be done in two years time. The airport may also get renamed as Kavi Guru Rabindranath Tagore International

Airport.

On Wednesday, Banerjee has also announced the extension in the period for renewal of fitness certificate of vehicles till June 30 in 2021.

"It will help drivers of bus, taxi, lorry and other vehicles to ply the same without any tension at this critical time of Covid. They will not suffer from any uncertainty that their licence would get cancelled at any time. But they must be cautious so that no accident take place," Banerjee said adding that it would be the responsibility of owners and drivers of vehicles to maintain the same so that no untoward incident take place.

Banerjee has also announced about the completion of setting up of the cultural board for the people from Bagdi community.