Bengal to have sea port and private airport : CM

Kolkata, Jun 1(UNI) The Planning Commission has floated global tender for construction of a deep sea port in West Bengal while consultants have been engaged by the state government for a greenfield private airport as part of its drive to improve infrastructure.

Work for a new highway, an elevated mass rapid transit system and an ambitious project for declaring the city's Dalhousie Square a heritage site were also expected to get kickstarted soon as industrialists were making a bee-line for investment in the state since the seventh Left Front government was formed barely a fortnight ago, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said.

"The Planning Commission has already floated global tender for a deep sea port near Kulpi and Sagar in South 24 Parganas district after the Prime Minister's Office okayed it. Located 30 km from Kulpi and Sagar on sea, this will be on the line of the Sanghai sea port," he said while speaking at a felicitation accorded to him by FICCI, Eastern Region in association with eleven other forums for industrialists and entrepreneurs.

Mr Bhattacharjee said BNO, a British-based company had originally proposed to set up such a sea port which would be third in the state after Kolkata and Haldia ports.

As part of improving infrastructure in a state, attracting steady industrial investment, a second airport would also be constructed in South 24 Parganas district, he said. "We have engaged consultants for the new greenfield airport and decided that it will be constructed and managed by a private company," the chief minister said.

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