Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said in Darbhanga on Thursday that the government aims to increase air connectivity in the state tenfold over the next five years. He said efforts are being made to create a system allowing 4-5 crore people from Bihar to travel by air during this period.
Speaking at a programme marking the transfer of security responsibility of Darbhanga Airport to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), he noted that in 2005-06 the number of people travelling by air annually from Bihar was only around 2.5 lakh, which has now risen to over 50 lakh.
The Chief Minister said air traffic infrastructure must be expanded in all districts, whether through airports, airstrips or heliports. Tenders have already been floated for setting up airports in Muzaffarpur, Raxaul, Saharsa and Birpur. Purnea Airport is already operational, while airports at Munger, Ajgaibinath, Bhagalpur and Begusarai must also be made operational at all costs.
He said a meeting with officials from the Civil Aviation Department and the Government of India is scheduled for next week. The state government will urge the Prime Minister to name Darbhanga Airport after Baba Vidyapati. Efforts will also be made to develop it into an international airport. He described Darbhanga and Mithila as the “midpoint” of Bihar.
The Chief Minister said, “Darbhanga Airport is not merely an airport, but also an important medium for taking products from the Mithilanchal region to global markets.”
He added that over the next five years, the state government will work toward establishing a new industry at the site of the defunct Ashok Paper Mill.
Choudhary said former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar not only built a vast road network in Bihar but also worked extensively toward expanding airports. He also ensured land allocation for establishing AIIMS in the state.
“We are carrying forward his work,” he said.
He further said, “Bihar can become a developed state only if development work is carried out at three times the scale of what was done during Nitish Kumar’s tenure.”