Mamata govt ‘Did not respond’ to DRDO letter in 2024; Suvendu clears Junput missile testing centre
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has approved a DRDO proposal to establish a weapon and missile testing facility at Junput in Purba Medinipur, claiming that the proposal had been pending since 2024 after the then Mamata Banerjee-led government did not respond to the defence organisation’s communication.
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The Defence Research and Development Organisation had proposed setting up an additional weapon testing facility at Junput in Purba Medinipur in 2024. The facility is intended to provide another testing location for missile and weapon systems and help reduce the workload on the existing testing infrastructure at Chandipur in Odisha.
Chief Minister of West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari
The proposal, however, did not move ahead during the previous state government’s tenure, according to Adhikari.
Speaking at an event on September 11, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said he had recently received a communication from DRDO regarding the project. He claimed that the organisation had originally written to then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2024 but had received no response.
“I got a letter from DRDO. It said that they had originally sent a letter to ‘Didi’ (Mamata Banerjee, the then CM) in 2024, but she did not respond,” Adhikari said.
He added that he responded to the defence organisation immediately and gave the state government’s written confirmation for the project.
“I responded immediately. I gave a written confirmation. DRDO will set up a facility in Junput, East Medinipur, a missile testing centre. This is a major achievement for us,” Adhikari said.
A DRDO source has also confirmed that the missile testing project is coming up in West Bengal.
Junput to supplement Chandipur testing range
The proposed Junput facility is expected to supplement the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, which is one of India’s principal facilities for testing missiles and other weapon systems.
Chandipur has two major launch complexes. Launch Complex-III at Chandipur-on-Sea is used for trials of short-range tactical missiles, surface-to-air systems and multi-barrel rocket launchers, including systems such as Akash and Pinaka.
Launch Complex-IV, located off the Odisha coast, is used for trials of long-range strategic weapon systems, including the Agni series of ballistic missiles and K-series submarine-launched missiles.
The addition of Junput is expected to provide DRDO with greater flexibility in scheduling missile and weapons trials.
Coastal location makes Junput strategically important
Junput is located along the Bay of Bengal in Purba Medinipur and is around 70 km from Chandipur along the coast.
Its coastal location provides an eastward testing corridor over the Bay of Bengal, making it suitable for missile and weapon trials. The facility is therefore expected to strengthen the eastern region’s role in India’s defence testing network.
The new facility would also provide additional capacity as India expands the development and testing of indigenous missile and weapon systems.
Project faced local concerns
The Junput project has previously faced opposition and concerns from sections of the local population, particularly fishermen who feared that testing activities could affect their livelihoods.
Parliamentary records have indicated that safety arrangements were planned for missile testing, including evacuation of people within a designated area during trials, along with provisions for compensation and temporary shelters.
DRDO has maintained that appropriate safety protocols would be followed during testing activities to protect people living in the surrounding areas.