Hundreds of passengers often run into trouble when it comes to boarding flights or even entering the premises during VIP movement at north Bengal’s only airport at Bagdogra.
The scene was no different on Monday as the airport witnessed unprecedented security arrangements for chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s visit.
Passengers have been complaining of the “acute problems” they face in boarding scheduled flights due to the heavy rush vehicles, often belonging to party leaders and followers in the airport area, it is learnt.
Party leaders and followers often reach the airport to welcome Miss Banerjee, who frequently visits north Bengal, through Bagdogra Airport.
Departing passengers were seen running helter-skelter and confused as they tried to enter the airport terminal on Monday. Passengers who had arrived from different destinations also bore the brunt as most of the cars that had come to pick them up were not allowed even inside the airport gate.
“The police told me they have arranged for parking outside the gate, far from the even the main gate and the national highway. How can the arriving passengers walk all the way to the highway with the luggage they carry?” lamented a man who was not allowed to enter the gate to pick his relatives.
Once inside the airport premises, passengers were also barred from moving normally, thanks to the barricades and ropes that the police used to “sterilise” certain areas.
“My car is parked outside the airport due to the traffic congestion here,” said Ranjan Sarkar, the leader of the Opposition at the Siliguri Municipal Corporation and a Trinamul Congress leader.
The security was so tight that police also did not allow the Sabhadhipati of the Jalpaiguri Zilla Parishad, Nurjahan Begam, who came to the airport for the first time to welcome the CM, to enter the airport.
She was asked to remain outside the “sterilised zone” as she had failed to take a prior permission letter from the Airport Director. It was painful for Mrs Begam, as she saw Trinamul leader and chairman of the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) Sourav Chakraborty, going in and out of the airport terminal.
“I have come here for the first time to welcome the chief minister. I failed to manage the pass. I missed an opportunity even as the Jalpaiguri district magistrate entered the terminal,” Mrs Begam, holding a voters’ identity card, in her hand, told this correspondent.
“This is enough to explain the role of the police and how they behave with common people in the name of security,” a man nearby quipped. “Police will never take risks following the CM’s security breech at Hemtabad in north Dinajpur recently,” said a police officer on duty at the airport.
Some Trinamul Congress leaders, including former Siliguri MLA Dr Rudranath Bhattacharya, also failed to manage entry passes on Monday, while a senior official of the CM’s security finally allowed Hill Trinamul president LB Rai, who is also the chairman of Mirik Municipality, to greet the CM from a place marked for the media.
It may be mentioned here that Bagdogra Airport authorities had to close the ticket counter, even for visitors, while the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) also faced problems in handling Trinamul leaders, who wanted to go to the ‘airport apron’ to greet Mamata Banerjee.
According to a senior official of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), airport authorities allow only the security persons of the CM, a Minister-in-charge, two officials from the civil administration and two police officers without arms, to enter the apron area.
“No armed police will be allowed as CISF personnel are already there,” the official said. Airport authorities issue passes to some political leaders based on a list prepared by the Commissioner of Police, sources said.
Asked to comment, Airport director Rakesh Sahay admitted to problems of traffic congestion and passengers’ problems during VIP movement.
“Passengers face problems during VIP movement. They sometimes even miss their flights. We generally request the airlines’ authorities, considering such VIP movement, to delay their timings for at least 45 minutes.
However, passengers face more problems when they miss a flight and there is only one flight service a day for that particular airline,” Mr Sahay said. “For that reason, we always ask the police not to stop cars headed for the airport with passengers. However, such cars are sometimes denied entry at the airport during VIP movement,” he added.
On the other hand, former Union cabinet minister and former BJP spokesperson, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, who landed at the Bagdogra Airport just before the arrival of the chief minister, told this correspondent: “The chief minister is about to land here.
She needs to realize the present situation of the Bagdorga Airport, which needs expansion. Mamata Banerjee should immediately hand over adequate plots of land for its expansion project.
If the state provides the land, the Central government will allot adequate funds for its development.”