Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has urged the central government to build an airport in Sahibganj district.
Incidentally, Barhait, the home constituency of Soren falls under Sahibganj district, which is in the Santhal Pargana, the bastion of the JMM/ The JMM is heading a coalition government in Jharkhand along with the Congress and the RJD.
Soren on Tuesday night shared a letter written to Union civil aviation minister Kinjurapu Rammohan Naidu, justifying the need for an airport, in the Sahibganj district located on the north-eastern border of Bengal and Bihar.
At present, there are two functional airports at Ranchi and Deoghar in Jharkhand.
“From a geographical and strategic point of view, Sahibganj is located near the Farakka Dam (in Bengal) and at a short distance from Bangladesh and China. Waterway traffic is also being given priority in the Prime Minister’s vision of a developed India. In such a situation, construction of a regular airport in Sahibganj is very important for economic and social development,” the letter reasons.
The letter also states Sahibganj importance in terms of strategic point of view.
“From a strategic point of view, it can also provide assistance to the Indian Air Force. People of Bihar and Bengal will also be connected to other major cities of the country through this airport,” the letter adds.
“Being a relatively less developed district in the Santhal Pargana region, the state government is trying to connect this district to the mainstream through various infrastructure. In this sequence, the construction of a new bridge on the Ganges river is being done with the help of the Government of India. Along with the railway line in Sahibganj, the approval of the interstate bus stand has also been given by the state government,” the letter states.
He mentioned that when the Government of India took the initiative to build an airport in Deoghar, the state government did not show any negligence in providing all kinds of assistance.
“In such a situation, it is requested that the establishment of a regular airport in Sahibganj should be considered immediately,” the letter concludes.
Earlier on Wednesday, Soren criticised the Centre for ignoring the state in the Union budget tabled on Tuesday and accused the BJP MPs from Jharkhand of being silent over the outstanding dues from the Centre.
He also claimed that the Centre owes ₹1.36 lakh crore to the state and demanded that its dues be paid by the Centre.
“Who is guilty of discrimination with the state? The Centre owes ₹ 1.36 lakh crore to the state, but every BJP leader is silent on this issue. Give a special package to your crutches — pay us our dues,” Soren said on his social media handle.
He was referring to financial measures, announced by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget proposals on Tuesday, for Bihar and Andhra.
