Bagdogra airport expansion: Bengal in talks with tea gardens

Kolkata Dec 19 (IANS) The West Bengal government is working on facilitating the availability of 130 acres of land sought by the Airport Authority of India for a proposed Rs 300 crore expansion of the Bagdogra airport a minister said here on Tuesday.

"The expansion of Bagdogra airport is aimed at developing international facilities. We do not have the required land needed so we are talking to two tea gardens for arranging the same " State Tourism Minister Goutam Deb said here at the ICC Travel India 2017 event.

He said the state was in discussion with Gangaram (Duncan) and Bagdogra Tea Estate.

"If we get land from either of the two then we will be able to fulfil the requirements. The AAI will not pay for the land. We will have to purchase it and then hand it over to them " Deb said.

The AAI was ready to sanction Rs 300 crore as the project cost Deb said.

The state government has already handed over 24 acres of land to the AAI for developing night landing facilities at the airport he added.

--IANS
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