KOLKATA: The state government withdrew police personnel and firefighters from Cooch Behar airport in north Bengal from Sunday, hours after a nine-seater aircraft with BJP’s MP from Cooch Behar Nisith Pramanik on board landed for a trial run. The decision of withdrawal of security and fire brigade personnel appears to be a fall out of the tussle between the state and the Centre.
All 46 personnel of the state police force and more than a dozen fire brigade personnel, who were deployed at the airport, were taken off duty without prior notice or intimation surprising the airport authorities.
During Lok Sabha poll campaigns, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured that the airport would be made operational in full swing if the BJP comes to the Centre again. MP Pramanik alleged the West Bengal government was acting in a biased manner. “The government has created an artificial security threat by withdrawing the security personnel,’’ he said.