CM inaugurates aircraft museum at New Town
Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the aircraft museum at New Town that has been built by the state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department in collaboration with the Indian Navy on Wednesday. The museum has been conceived with the aim to preserve and promote the maritime history of the Indian Navy for educational purpose of the people.
"I will request all, particularly the school and college students, to visit the museum that the Indian Navy has donated to us. It will not only be a learning experience regarding maritime history but will also encourage people to join the Navy or the Army," Banerjee said at the inaugural programme on Wednesday.
Initially the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) started assembling of the parts of Tupolev 142 anti-submarine aircraft that was transported to the city in a dismantled form on February 14, 2020 from INS Rajali in Tamil Nadu. The aircraft was handed over to KMDA on November 15, 2019 by the Indian Navy. Later the project was handed over to West Bengal Housing & Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco).
The museum has come up on 2.2 acre of land allotted by Hidco beside New Town police station.
The aircraft nicknamed the 'Bear' was the heaviest, fastest and highest flying turbo propeller ever made in the world and was the mainstay of long range Maritime Reconnaissance (LRMR) and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations of the Navy for close to three decades. A total of eight Tupolev 142 M aircraft were part of all major naval exercises and operations of the Indian Navy, including OP Cactus (1988) at Maldives, Operation Vijay (Kargil 1999) and Operation Parakram (2002). It has flown for 3000 hours in its 30 years of service tenure.
The Tu-142 has lived its total technical life and it is no longer economically viable to keep in service. Russia continues to operate its Tu-142 fleet, but the cold conditions they function in are much easier on the aircraft. Banerjee requested the senior officials of the Indian Navy present at the inaugural programme for donating a submarine which is no longer in use so that it can be installed at Digha.
The aircraft museum at New Town will be open to the general public from Friday. The timing will be from 2.30 to 8.30 pm on weekdays and 12 to 8.30 pm on weekends. The entry for students will be free against showing of identity cards while Rs 30 will be charged from the general public.