Bengal Govt to launch new helicopter and plane services soon

The Bengal Government is soon going to launch helicopter and plane services across the state.

The new helicopter services will cover routes from Kolkata to Malda, Balurghat, Digha and Sagar Island for tourists every Sunday,Wednesday and Saturday. The services will however be suspended if government functions are scheduled on those days.

The tickets for Digha and Sagar Island have been priced at Rs 2,000 per person, for Malda at Rs 2,500 per person and for Balurghat at Rs 3,000 per person.

These announcements were made by the Transport Minister while replying to debates during the presentation of the budget for his Department. He also said that helicopter services would start from Kolkata to Santiniketan and Purulia.

Plane services would be introduced from Cooch Behar Airport. A double-engined nine-seater aircraft would be engaged for the purpose. The airports in Malda, Balurghat and Purulia would also be rebuilt/renovated.

 

কপ্টার , বিমান ভাড়া করছে রাজ্য সরকার

রাজ্য সরকার আরও একটি হেলিকপ্টার ভাড়া নিচ্ছে৷ কলকাতা-কোচবিহার রুটের জন্য ভাড়া নেওয়া হচ্ছে একটি বিমানও৷

পরিবহণমন্ত্রী পরিবহণ দপ্তরের ব্যায়বরাদ্দ নিয়ে বিতর্কের জবাবি ভাষণে বলেন, শীঘ্রই এই দুই পরিষেবা চালু হবে৷

বুধ, শনি ও রবিবার এই কপ্টার কলকাতা থেকে মালদহ, বালুরঘাট, দিঘা ও সাগরে পর্যটকদের নিয়ে যাওয়ার কাজে ব্যবহার করা হবে৷ তবে কোনও সরকারি কর্মসূচী থাকলে সেই পরিষেবা বন্ধ থাকবে৷

দিঘা ও সাগরে যাওয়া বা আসার জন্য মাথাপিছু ২ হাজার টাকা ভাড়া ধরা হয়েছে, মালদহ আড়াই হাজার টাকা, বালুরঘাটের ভাড়া তিন হাজার টাকা৷

পরিবহণমন্ত্রী বলেন, ‘কলকাতা থেকে পুরুলিয়া, শান্তিনিকেতনের মধ্যে হেলিকপ্টার পরিষেবা চালু করা হবে৷ এ ছাড়া কোচবিহার বিমানবন্দর চালু রাখতে ৯ আসন বিশিষ্ট ডবল ইঞ্জিনের বিমান চালানো হবে৷ টেন্ডার প্রক্রিয়া শেষ৷ মালদহ, বালুরঘাট এবং পুরুলিয়ার বিমানবন্দরগুলির পুনরুজ্জীবনের কাজ চলছে৷’

Work on to make Digha more attractive tourist destination: WB CM

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that the beach town Digha and its surrounding areas would soon appear as beautiful tourist attraction with the agencies working on it to give it a shape.

WB CM, who arrived here on Monday evening, walked along the beach, visited various spots and held an administrative meeting today with the officials in the district and local civic bodies to discuss about the development of this beach town as part of the coastal area development plan.

The chief minister also launched the helicopter service from Digha to Kolkata today before returning to Kolkata by helicopter.

The new helipad at Digha would allow chopper rides from Kolkata to Digha. Alongside a chopper ride, there would also be a ropeway launched at Amarbati Park in Digha for tourists.

The ropeway will move along the Lake in Amarabati Park. The length of the ropeway has been estimated to be of 150 to 200 meters and tourists would also be able to get a larger view of Digha from the ropeway.

The Government is in touch with the coastal zone authorities to work out the modalities of the bigger ropeway project, which would move over the beach between Old and New Digha.

The state government has been working to develop the coastal areas of Digha, Shankarpur, Tajpur and Mandarmani as attractive tourist destinations.

The chief minister also directed the officials in the district and local civic bodies to ensure that the roads were maintained, beaches kept clean, beautification schemes undertaken and solid waste management programme kept in place.

The Digha-Shankarpur Development Authority (DSDA) has already taken up overall civic infrastructure development of the entire area.

WB Govt selects 8 sites for helipads

The government has selected eight sites across the state for setting up permanent helipads. Sources said that a fresh survey would also be conducted to identify more sites.Sources in the secretariat said the permanent helipads would be set up in Digha, Tarapith, Mayapur, Howrah’s Dumurjola and at four other sites, including in north Bengal.

Officials, however, said that the soil condition would have to be ex amined at some sites.

Earlier, the state government had planned to develop 21 permanent helipads across the state, possibly one helipad at each district, to facilitate smooth movement of the chief minister or other VVIPs. The district magistrates were asked to make site selections and prepare reports on where the helipads could come up in their respective jurisdictions.

Officials said that after conducting surveys in the 21 proposed sites, eight sites have so far been selected for setting up permanent helipads.

22 helipads to be set up across the State

The West Bengal Government is planning to set up 22 helipads in different points of the State.

The helipads will not only ensure speedy movements for different Governmental works but also help to relocate patients in critical conditation to be shifted to bigger hospitals.

Besides the helipads, restrooms will also be set up. A one month test period will be conducted to check out all the facilities.

The helipads will be set up at:

Alipurduar district: Alipurduar Mouza, Torsa tea garden in Jaigaon, Birpara Dimdim Tea garden,

Bankura district: Bankura Stadium,

Birbhum district: Rampurhat Kauro Mouza,

Cooch Behar district: Cooch Behar airport,

Dakshin Dinajpur district: Balurghat airport,

Hooghly district: Arambagh Pallishree Maidan and Chinsurah Boxing Club ground,

Howrah district: Dumurjola Stadium,

Jalpaiguri district: Jalpaiguri Kahariya Mouza and Chalsa Mangalbari Mouza,

Maldah district: Maldah airport,

Murshidabad district: Baharampur Stadium,

North 24 Parganas district: Bongaon Chandpara Mouza and Basirhat Patilachandra D P School ground,

South 24 Parganas district: Jaynagar Jalberiya Mouza,

West Midnapore district: Medinipur Police Line Ground and Jhargram Raj College ground,

Purulia district: Purulia abandoned aerodrome,

East Midnapore: Digha Japinapi Mouza.