Alipurduar, Kalimpong, South Dinajpur, and Asansol Set for New Medical Colleges and Proposed AIIMS in North Bengal

North Bengal is all set for major healthcare boost with new medical colleges and proposed AIIMS

KalimNews, May 24, 2026, Kalimpong : Residents across North Bengal have welcomed the West Bengal government’s major announcement to strengthen healthcare infrastructure through the establishment of new medical colleges and advanced healthcare facilities in the region.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, after holding a virtual meeting with Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Saturday, announced that the state government would soon send proposals to the Centre for setting up four new government medical colleges in Alipurduar, Kalimpong, South Dinajpur, and Asansol in West Burdwan district. Alongside these projects, the government will also submit a proposal for establishing an AIIMS in North Bengal.

The announcement has generated excitement across the region, where access to quality healthcare and medical education has remained a long-standing concern. North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Susrutanagar near Siliguri has traditionally served as the largest referral hospital in the region. Over the years, district hospitals in Cooch Behar, Malda, Raiganj, and Jalpaiguri were upgraded into medical colleges, but concerns regarding infrastructure, availability of doctors, faculty members, and patient facilities continued to surface.

Healthcare experts believe the proposed institutions could significantly improve medical services if proper infrastructure, skilled professionals, and modern facilities are ensured from the beginning.

The proposed AIIMS for North Bengal is also being viewed as a major development for the region. Earlier plans for an AIIMS in Raiganj were eventually shifted to Kalyani, leading to disappointment among many residents of North Bengal. The latest proposal is therefore being seen as an important step toward addressing regional healthcare demands and improving access to advanced treatment facilities.

The announcements received strong support from BJP leaders and public representatives across the state. Darjeeling MP Raju Bista described the decision to establish a medical college in Kalimpong as a “historic and long-awaited achievement” for the Hills. He stated that efforts for a medical college in the region had been ongoing since 2019 and expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Central Government for prioritising the development of the Darjeeling Hills, Terai, and Dooars.

According to Bista, the approval of the proposal reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring better healthcare and educational opportunities for people living in remote hill regions.

The announcement also sparked celebrations in South Dinajpur, where residents have struggled for years due to the lack of advanced healthcare facilities. Patients requiring critical treatment often travel nearly 120 kilometres to Malda Medical College because local hospitals in Gangarampur and Balurghat lack specialised infrastructure. Many residents described the proposed medical college as a “dream come true” for the district.

Residents and students in Asansol and other districts also welcomed the move, saying the new medical colleges would reduce the need for aspiring medical students to travel outside their districts for higher medical education.

The announcements mark one of the most ambitious healthcare expansion plans for Bengal in recent years, raising hopes for improved healthcare access, employment opportunities, regional development, and modern medical education across North Bengal and beyond.

In Alipurduar, BJP MLA Manoj Tigga thanked both Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving the new medical college project. He also expressed gratitude for the decision to expand Hasimara Airport for civilian flight operations.

The expansion of Hasimara Airport is expected to become a game-changing development for the Dooars region. Located near the Bhutan border and surrounded by nearly 200 tea gardens, Hasimara is poised to emerge as a major centre for connectivity, tourism, trade, and economic growth with the introduction of civilian air services and a new passenger terminal.

The proposed development of Hasimara Airport is being viewed as another landmark step for the region’s future. Located in Alipurduar district near the Indo-Bhutan border, Hasimara Airport currently serves as a strategically important Indian Air Force base under the Eastern Air Command. It is considered one of India’s most sensitive military airbases because of its proximity to the Chumbi Valley and its role in overseeing the strategically vital Siliguri Corridor, often referred to as the “Chicken’s Neck” connecting mainland India with the Northeast.

The site has a long and significant history. Before Independence, it functioned as a private airstrip used by Dakota aircraft operated by Jam Air and Kalinga Air. Following the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the Indian Air Force officially took control of the base and commissioned it on April 7, 1963. Over the decades, the base played active roles during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars and became home to several distinguished fighter squadrons operating aircraft such as the Gnats, Ajeets, Hunters, and MiG-27s.

Authorities are now actively working to expand the facility to accommodate civilian commercial flights. Once operational, the airport is expected to dramatically improve connectivity for tourists, businesses, tea garden communities, and residents across the Dooars region of West Bengal as well as neighbouring western districts of Assam.

Surrounded by nearly 200 tea gardens and located close to the Bhutan border, Hasimara is expected to emerge as a major centre for tourism, trade, transport, and economic growth with the introduction of civilian air services and a modern passenger terminal. At present, Bagdogra Airport remains the nearest fully functional commercial airport serving the region.