MP reviews Doloo Greenfield Airport, calls it historic step

Silchar: Assam BJP president and MP Dilip Saikia on Friday reviewed the proposed Doloo Greenfield Airport project in Cachar district, describing it as a historic step towards transforming air connectivity and driving overall development in the Barak Valley.Inspecting preparations at the project site, Saikia said the world-class civil airport, once completed, would significantly enhance regional connectivity and serve as a growth catalyst for southern Assam. “This initiative will accelerate infrastructure-led development in the Barak Valley,” he said.Expressing gratitude to PM Narendra Modi and CM Himanta Biswa Sarma for their support, Saikia said the airport would benefit not only the three districts of the Barak Valley but also Dima Hasao and neighbouring states, improving business prospects and easing travel for the common people. On land acquisition concerns, Saikia assured that displaced tea garden workers had been rehabilitated. “Rows of new houses have been constructed in the Doloo tea garden area, and the affected families will soon move into their homes,” he said.Located near the East-West Corridor, the new airport is expected to replace the congested Kumbhirgram Airport, which currently operates from an Indian Air Force base. Officials said the facility would ease capacity constraints and reduce dependence on long road journeys to Guwahati.According to the India Investment Grid under PM Gati Shakti, the project falls under the Airports & Aviation Infrastructure sub-sector. Construction is scheduled to begin on April 1, 2027, with completion targeted for Sept 30, 2029. Earlier plans had envisaged work starting in late 2025 and finishing by late 2027.The project, to be developed by the Airports Authority of India at an estimated cost of Rs 2,000 crore, involves the transfer of about 3,000 bighas (nearly 992 acres) of land from the Doloo tea estate.Despite earlier opposition from tea garden workers’ unions over job security and land rights, the government maintains that compensation and rehabilitation measures are in place. Once operational, the Doloo Greenfield Airport is expected to play a pivotal role in boosting trade, tourism, and economic activity across the Barak Valley.