Bagdogra airport suffers cargo losses; officials plans anew

MANAS R BANNERJEE, SNS, BAGDOGRA, 5 JANUARY 2018: As the Bagdogra Airport struggles to handle the ever growing number of passengers and awaits its much-needed expansion project to takeoff, the airport has been suffering huge losses in the air cargo business due to space constraints and lack of proper planning in the last one decade.

However, as officials wake up to the situation now, they plan to set up a cargo shed to increase the cargo business here, keeping in mind the good business prospects in carrying fresh fruits like pineapple and oranges and flowers from Kalimpong and even Sikkim.

As part of the expansion plans, authorities have planned to ready a five metric ton (MT) capacity cargo shed, according to Bagdogra Airport Director Rajesh R Sahay 'The

airport has only one MT cargo business a day presently, while it is operating two MT cargo businesses," he said.

Sources said a Centre for Perishable Cargo was set up on the right side of the main entrance of the Airport by the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) when Asok Bhattacharya, the former urban development minister, was the chairman of the development body.

"However, the Centre never saw the daylight due to technical and operational problems, given its location,- sources said, adding, "But the well-equipped cargo shed was setup by installing sophisticated equipment, which is gathering dust now."

The former SJDA chairman, Mr Bhattacharya, who is now the Siliguri mayor, said:"With financial support from the Central government and under the ASIDE (Assistance to States for Infrastructure Development of Exports) project, we had set up a dry port, a food park, a pineapple processing centre and a cargo shed, especially at the Bagdogra Airport."

"The First two projects were stalled mid-way due to a conspiracy hatched by Trinamul Congress leader Gautam Deb, and the then railway minister Mamata Banerjee," he alleged.

'To encourage export of pineapple, oranges and flowers as well as a variety of orchids from the Hills including Kalimpong and neighboring Sikkim, the perishable cargo centre was set up at Bagdogra Airport in association with the state government's Food Processing Industries and Horticulture department, and with financial assistance from ASIDE and APEDA (Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority). But it failed to win the Assembly elections from Siliguri in 2011. Since then, no projects were successfully operated there," he added.

The Concord (Container Corporation of India Ltd) and the Ministry of Railway were assigned to operate the Cargo Centre there, it is learnt.

Though sources said that the SJDA later handed over the Cargo Centre to the Airports Authority of India, the Airport Director said it was the state government's property.

However, Mr Sahay admitted that there was huge potential of the cargo business based on organic fruits and vegetables, including oranges from the Hills and flowers from both West Bengal's Kalimpong and Sikkim areas. "Floriculturists will be able to send their produce to Bangalore within a day. Flights will land at Bangalore by evening and fresh flowers will be available in the markets the next morning there," he said.

Sources said that state tourism minister Gautam Deb, when he was the chairman of the SJDA, held meetings on development of the Perishable Cargo Centre at Bagdogra Airport, following requests from stakeholders associated with the export business.

"However, nothing has happened after CM Mamata Banerjee named another person as the SJDA chairman," sources said.

A top official associated with an airline said: "The location of the SJDA's Perishable Cargo Centre was not suitable. It did not qualify in the parameters of the Airports Authority of India for security, reasons. What was unfortunate was that it was not operational for even a single day after its inauguration. Highly sophisticated equipment for the cargo centre is gathering dust there.

(To be continued)