Discussions over the relocation of a mosque situated near the secondary runway of Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport have intensified, with BJP MLA Sourav Sikdar saying the structure poses challenges to both runway expansion and aviation safety.
The issue has gained renewed attention amid discussions over the future expansion of Kolkata airport. According to Sikdar, the mosque is located within the operational area of the airport’s secondary runway, and its relocation is being considered as part of broader infrastructure and safety planning.
Speaking in Barasat on Friday, Sikdar said consultations with stakeholders were underway, and no final decision had yet been taken.
“There is a lot of discussion going on here; we have to remove it for development. Because there is a problem with the expansion of the runway. Not only is there a problem in the expansion of the runway, but it is also a big threat to safety and security,” the BJP MLA said.
According to Sikdar, a joint meeting was recently held at the District Magistrate’s office in Barasat, attended by representatives of the mosque committee and other stakeholders.
“We had called a joint meeting at the DM office in Barasat, in which the people of the mosque committee were also there. They were also requested. So, the discussion is still ongoing,” he said.
The MLA further claimed that the land on which the mosque stands belongs to the Airports Authority of India.
“The ownership of the land where the mosque is situated rests with the Airports Authority of India because it falls within the airport premises,” he said.
Sikdar also appealed to Muslim clerics and community representatives to cooperate with the relocation process, claiming that alternative land would be provided for the mosque.
“Religion should not come in the way of development,” he said.
The remarks come days after Sikdar met Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu in Delhi and sought the overall development of Kolkata airport, including the establishment of an Aerocity modelled on the one near Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Sikdar had said after the meeting that the airport’s modernisation was crucial for Bengal’s economic growth and future connectivity needs. He also maintained that the Union government was keen to accelerate pending infrastructure projects linked to the airport.
The mosque is believed to be more than a century old and is situated around 165 metres from the airport’s secondary runway. Aviation authorities have long maintained that its location restricts runway expansion and affects plans for the installation of advanced Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), which are used to assist aircraft landings during periods of poor visibility and dense winter fog.
The proposed relocation has remained a sensitive issue for decades. During airport expansion and land acquisition exercises in the 1950s and 1960s, several nearby settlements were relocated. However, residents reportedly agreed to move after receiving assurances that the mosque would remain untouched.
Successive governments refrained from relocating the structure. In 1995, then chief minister Jyoti Basu reportedly rejected a proposal to shift the mosque. Later, in 2003, airport expansion plans were modified, and the runway was extended from the opposite side, avoiding the structure but requiring additional expenditure and road diversions in the Kaikhali area.
At present, the mosque falls within the airport’s high-security airside zone, and access is regulated by security agencies. Worshippers are allowed entry only after security checks and are escorted through designated routes within the airport premises.