SHILLONG, NOV 20: Deputy Chief Minister in‑charge of Transport Sniawbhalang Dhar on Thursday announced that the government is in the process of re‑floating the tender for the long‑awaited Shillong Airport expansion.
“We are in the process of floating the tender. As soon as the tender is allotted the work will start. It should be by this year,” Dhar said, adding that the previous tender had to be recalled due to complications and a fresh invitation is now being prepared.
According to the terms conveyed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the successful bidder will have 18 months from the date of issuance of the work order to complete the project.
“The only condition they informed us is that from the date of issuing the work order, the time of completion should be 18 months,” Dhar clarified.
The expansion, estimated at Rs 119.44 crore, includes a 571‑metre runway extension (bringing total length to 2,400 m), upgrade of the terminal building and apron, and associated infrastructure to enable A‑320 aircraft operations .
Earlier, the state government has approved the purchase of 11.75 acres at a compensation of Rs 72.17 crore.
Regarding Baljek Airport, Dhar said a joint inspection between AAI and the Meghalaya government is pending to identify and acquire additional land.
“We are waiting for joint inspection… we need experts from AAI to come and indicate the right direction before we can acquire the land,” he said when responding to a query that the government has been requested to sanction Rs 50 crore for the project.
The Deputy CM emphasized that payment is not the bottleneck; rather, it is the need for AAI experts to confirm feasibility and direction of the expansion.
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