Airport revival work proceeding  

COOCH BEHAR, June 28: General Manager of Airport Authority of India (AAI), Mr SN Roy met the district magistrate of Cooch Behar Dr Ravi Inder Singh today. They reviewed the progress of improvement of Cooch Behar airport that is going on. It is expected that the defunct airport may come alive again in September.

After the meeting, Dr Singh said that felling of trees is going on to make the landing of aircrafts trouble free. Out of about 10,000 trees identified for felling, 4,000 are still there to be removed. Thirty buildings are also waiting for demolition. These buildings will be cut down to size according to their height. The official bungalow of the superintendent of police is also in the list.

Last week, two senior officials of Air Deccan came to Cooch Behar. They discussed with the district magistrate over the possibilities of introducing Cooch Behar-Kolkata flights again using the Cooch Behar airport. It is expected that Air Deccan may press their aircrafts into the service in Cooch Behar-Kolkata route. They already applied to the concerned authorities expressing their interest, sources said.

Meanwhile, a senior member of All India Congress Committee, Mrs Sabita Roy said that Cooch Behar airport is not a new airport. It was there since the days of Maharajas of Cooch Behar. Air services using this airport were suspended for a few years due to various reasons. Now, it is hard to understand the reasons to remove 10,000 trees and a number of buildings to get the airport alive again, she said. Mrs Roy said that she will write to the Union civil aviation minister and the Union defence minister requesting them to intervene by instructing the concerned authorities to review the tree-felling plan in the interest of clean environment. Airport is necessary for quick communication and development of this region, but why should be that done sacrificing thousands of trees and satisfying a section of contractors, she questioned.

PHOTO : Cooch Behar DM Dr Ravi Inder Singh discusses with AAI general manager Mr SN Roy over reintroduction of Cooch Behar-Kolkata air service. In Cooch Behar on Wednesday.

Barman’s bail plea rejected 

COOCH BEHAR, June 28: General secretary and 57 others of The Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association (GCPA) were produced in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate of Cooch Behar today. The CJM, Mr Chapal Kumar Panda rejected their bail plea and sent them to judicial custody till 12 July. Mr Barman’s pleader, Mr Shibendra Nath Roy said that the case was related with the GCPA’s call for boycotting of the elections.

The CJM also committed three cases against Mr Barman to the Cooch Behar District and Sessions Court today. The GCPA chief will be produced in that court on 3 July. The three cases are related with murder of an additional SP, murder of two policemen and attempt to murder, according to Mr Roy. In another case, a court in Dinhata rejected the GCPA chief’s bail plea yesterday. Rejecting the bail plea the court ordered to produce Mr Barman again on 6 July.