Civil aviation secy writes to state govt on airport mosque

The state government,which has been dithering on the issue of shifting of a mosque on the second runway of Kolkata airport that was standing in the way of extension of the runway,as well as posing a safety hazard,has now geared up for the job. The Civil Aviation Ministry has written to the state government to take up the job on an urgent basis as the mosque could,among other things,lead to a Mangalore-type accident.

Civil Aviation Secretary M Madhavan Nambiar last week wrote to Chief Secretary Ardhendu Sen urging him to take steps for the shifting of the mosque,as it not only stood in the way of modernisation of the airport but also posed a risk. It has been since 1986 that the Civil Aviation Ministry has been requesting the state government to shift the 117-year old mosque located on the second runway.

Because of the mosque,not only do aircraft run the risk of overshooting the runway,there are always people at the mosque,posing a security threat. Despite several requests from the state government and Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials,residents of the area have refused to shift the mosque where barely 30 people offer prayers every day.

“You will get to know very soon what action we are going to take or what order we are going to issue in this regard,” Home Secretary Samar Ghosh told The Indian Express on Wednesday. According to Home Department officials,the home secretary has already asked North 24 Parganas District Magistrate Vinod Kumar to take up the issue with the mosque authorities.