Shillong, Sept 25: The State Cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal to acquire additional land for expansion of the two airports in the state – Shillong Airport and Baljek Airport.

The state government has also decided to seek necessary permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) following the latest survey report indicating the feasibility for expansion of the Shillong Airport for landing of bigger aircrafts.

Informing this after chairing the meeting, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said, “Today’s cabinet has given the approval to go ahead and start the process (of land acquisition for the Shillong Airport).”

Urging the cooperation of all concerns, Sangma said, “What is important to note is that this project will be a big game changer for our state. I think everyone who is part of this must realise how important this project is for Meghalaya and for the tourism sector and what potential this has to change the entire landscape of the economy and tourism sector of our state. Hence, this is something which we must all work together to get through.”

Referring to a detailed presentation by the transport department, the chief minister said, “We are on the job. The process and the planning stage is still. The survey that was done along with the Airport Authority of India (AAI), the survey and technical report have come out feasible. We are on the right track. Now, the actual process starts and we are hopeful that we should be able to extend the runway so that normal commercial flights (like A320 and Buoying 373) can land in the existing airport.”

Stating that the next step is to seek permission from the DGCA, Sangma said, “After going through the feasibility report submited by the transport department along with AAI, the next step now is to sit with DGCA and present this (proposal) to DGCA.”

“I am hopeful that meeting (with DGCA) will also be positive as we are working very hard on this. The bottom line at the end of the day is that we are seeing the roadmap infront of us as we don’t have this roadmap before. We really didn’t know how to move forward as the old studies were showing a very complicated situation before us but now this new study has brought up this new process and way forward and now the next step is to meet DGCA and I am hopeful we will be able to find out a resolution,” he added.

On Tuesday, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) had informed the Meghalaya High Court that the expansion of the Shillong Airport’s runway by 571 meter can be achieved within a cost of Rs 100 crore by the state government, excluding other costs that will be borne by the AAI in the improvement which will be to the tune of Rs 500 crore.

AAI general manager Dr Gursewak Manish had also explained that by the LiDAR survey, comprehensive survey of the entire Airport including all the requirements had been conducted.

“With regard to the earth cutting as required for expansion of the runway by 571 meters, it has been stated that if the proposal is accepted and passed by the State Government and by the Regulatory Authority that is the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA ), the same can be achieved within a cost of Rs 100 crore by the State Government, excluding other costs that will be borne by the AAI in the improvement which will be to the tune of Rs 500 crore,” the Court had stated in its order on Tuesday.

Terming the survey report as reasonable and doable, chief minister said, “It has given us a roadmap. (Unlike the previous reports), definitely, it will not be where we have to chop off the mountains where it will cost us Rs 8,000 crore; that is something which is very difficult for us to take a decision on.”

“We are happy now that we will not require any major destruction or cutting off mountains but maybe a little bit of cleaning off has to be done. A bit of land acquisition for extending the runway and for creating parking space for aircrafts and implementation of the actual extension of the runway. It is very practical, realistic and doable steps,” he added.

Asked about the status of Baljek Airport, the chief minister said that discussion for land acquisition for Baljek Airport is also on.

“The land acquisition process, the identification by the revenue branch of the DC office is already on the process. They have done initial report but the AAI was not at that point of time satisfied with that report. So another detailed report is being prepared so both (Shillong and Baljek airport) are going hand in hand and we are keen that in both locations that flights should start.”

He informed that the work for the Baljek airport had started before the process for the Shillong Airport started because the government is looking at a new location for Umroi airport. “That’s when the government sat on and we said that, well, why don’t we revisit this and see once more and invest a bit on technical report and maybe there could be an option that will come up where we will actually be able to bring larger aircrafts in the existing airport itself.”

“It was a chance we took and we are happy that this particular step we took has given us an option. We are happy with this and we are going ahead with Baljek Airport,” he added.

Read: Meghalaya Govt approves appointment of ex-IPS officer H Nongpluh as non-judicial member of MHRC

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