BAC for rescue of ‘Bengal Air’

Headlines Vol. 2 Issue 29-30

Dec.7-Dec.21,1999

The Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) has agreed to fund the cash-starved Bengal Air Services, a joint sector project of the West-Bengal state government. Swapan Sen, the Bengal Air managing director, disclosed that BAC had agreed to invest Rs. 1.25 crore as equity participation in the project. The BAC has also sanctioned Rs. 5 lakh for restoring the Rupsi airfield in Assam's Dhubri district. The airfield can be used, once the airline starts its operation.

Chief of the interim BAC Kanakeshwar Narzary said that funds were available under central assistance schemes but concurrence of both Centre and State is required to see the plans through. Narzary had an elaborate meeting with Debobrata Das, director of Singal Air recently. The BAC chief said that the proposed service could be operated from Calcutta via Guwahati and would also touch other centres in the North-East like Dimapur in Nagaland and Shillong in Meghalaya. The BAC, however, is yet to work out the profitability in the venture in absolute terms. A managing committee had been formed under the chairmanship of the Gauripur MLA, Banen Musahary, to oversee protection and airport renovation work. However, according to Narzary, the committee will be able to start work only after it receives the government clearance.

The Rupsi airport was in operation till 1976 when Vayudoot used to operate flights there. But it has been lying abandoned since then and will need some working before it can be made serviceable again. Senior directors of Bengal Air believed that once feeder services were launched, traders from north-eastern states would benefit greatly. The BAC is quite certain that it will be a profitable venture. If all goes well as expected, then the service will surely open up the tourism potential of the North-East, and western Assam in particular.

| Assam | Oriental Times(Headlines) | Nena Home Page |

Your Visit No