Finance minister Swapan Dasgupta has announced plans to convert the abandoned Charra airstrip into a regional connectivity airport under the UDAN scheme.
Air India flight (File Photo: AFP)
Finance minister Swapan Dasgupta has announced plans to convert the abandoned Charra airstrip into a regional connectivity airport under the UDAN scheme. Located barely eight kilometres from Purulia town, the project aims to transform this World War II relic into a driver of economic growth.
Purulia MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato welcomed the announcement in the state Budget, saying it would significantly boost tourism and act as a catalyst for the local economy.
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The airstrip was originally built by the British during World War II in Purulia’s Mofussil Thana area for emergency landings. It has remained unused for decades, with extensive infrastructure lying idle.
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Recently, senior officials from the transport department, aircraft engineers, RITES and the Land and Land Reforms department inspected the site. The runway measures 1,722 metres in length and 350 metres in width. Initial technical assessments flagged challenges, including a railway line on one side and high-tension wires across the runway, which would prevent larger aircraft from operating.
The team suggested removing the wires to allow 19-seater aircraft to land on the western side. With a modest extension of the runway, 42-seater planes could also operate. An air training school has been proposed as an alternative use.
Strategically located near the Jharkhand border, the site is close to industrial centres such as Raghunathpur and Asansol, enhancing its potential importance for the regional economy.
The land, once under the defence ministry, was later transferred to the state government through the initiative of former Baghmundi MLA Nepal Mahato. The project will now proceed under the civil aviation ministry’s UDAN initiative to improve regional connectivity.
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