Kolkata: Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday said the state govt identified 2,000 acres in Kalyani, Nadia, for a greenfield project to develop Kolkata’s second airport.An official said land, identified for the second airport, stretched from the rear side of AIIMS Kalyani to Narapati Para in Simurali under the Chakdaha Assembly constituency. It’s close to NH-12, around 60 km or an hour’s drive from the existing airport. The official claimed the land met the parameters in a soil testing.Adhikari was speaking at an event organised by the transport department, where he also said the state joined the Centre’s UDAN regional connectivity scheme and secured support for expanding airports at Balurghat, Malda and Purulia.Reiterating the proposals, announced by state finance minister Swapan Dasgupta during the state budget, the CM committed to rejuvenate the state’s transport infrastructure in coordination with the Centre.Adhikari also blamed the previous govt for the loss of Kolkata’s direct air link with Europe, claiming it failed to strengthen the aviation sector and so, several international routes from the state became non-operational. “We had air connectivity with most European countries. Under the previous govt, flights on most of these routes stopped. At present, we don’t have connectivity with any European city, including London,” he said.Alleging the previous govt did not pursue a proposal for a second airport near Kolkata, Adhikari said, “Then Union transport minister Jyotiraditya Scindia wrote to the previous CM, asking for land for another airport near Kolkata. An immediate reply was sent stating that the govt would not be able to acquire land in the Bhangar area. It was a weak govt.”
