Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the new terminal building of Bagdogra Airport along with a slew of projects for six other airports.

Modi, who laid the foundation stone in virtual mode from Varanasi, said: “The current government has not yet finished 125 days and yet, projects worth ₹15 lakh crore have been launched. We are putting impetus on infrastructure to extend more benefits to people and to create employment. Among these include infrastructural projects involving airports, railways and highways.”

He claimed that in the past 10 years, that is, ever since he assumed the Prime Minister's office, the number of airports in the country increased from 74 to 157.

On this occasion, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) organised a function at Kawakhali ground in southern Siliguri. Union minister of state Shantanu Thakur, along with local MPs and MLAs, and Gautam Deb, the mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, were present at the event to mark the Prime Minister's virtual launch.

Sharad Kumar, the member (operations) of AAI, who was also present, elaborated on the airport expansion plan. “The new terminal building will be seven times larger (around 70,400 square metres) than the existing one and handle 10 million passengers in a year. As of now, Bagdogra is the 22nd most important airport in India (in terms of passenger traffic) and there is a growing demand to expand its infrastructure.”

According to him, there will be 48 check-in counters, 14 self check-in kiosks, and eight ATRS (automatic tray retrieval system) at the new terminal building. In the first phase, the Centre will spend around ₹1,550 crore for the project.

“There will be more conveyor belts.... initially, parking bays for 10 aircraft would be developed and in due course, the number will increase to 16,” added Kumar.

Siliguri mayor Deb said that the state government had provided land to the AAI for the project.

“The state government has provided around 100 acres to the AAI. Land has also been given for other projects like the Asian Highway. We are always sincere about the infrastructural development of the region,” the Trinamool veteran said.

Raju Bista, the BJP's Darjeeling MP, was quick to point out that the Centre had been funding projects worth thousands of crores for the infrastructure development of the region.