Work on Akola, Amravati airports will start soon: CM

NAGPUR: Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has assured that work on Amravati and Akola airports would begin soon as the process of land acquisition is in final stages. CM told the legislative council on Wednesday that Airport Authority of India (AAI) had agreed to build both airports provided certain conditions were met.
Replying to a call attention motion moved by Vinod Tawde, leader of opposition, CM said that AAI wanted 60.7 hectare land belonging to Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) and 34 hectare private land."We have identified three possible areas in the PDKV campus adjoining the existing airport. The first is an agricultural trial land, the second has a research centre and environment centre and the third has a water body. We have told the university authorities that it can give us any of the three lands," he said.
Giving further details, the CM said that land had been identified in Udgaon adjoining the university which would be given to it as part of the land swap. "Earlier, the university had some objections regarding providing its land for the airport. However, now they have agreed in principle on many points for the land swap. The Akola district collector has told the university that its water source won't be disturbed if the land containing the water body is given. He has also given his word that the government will build a new research and convention centre if the land having these buildings is given. We have already done the demarcation of the Udgaon land," said Chavan.
The existing length of the Akola runway is 1.4km. It has to be increased to 1.8km for landing ATR-42 aircraft.
The government has asked AAI to build the Belora airport at Amravati on the lines of the one at Jalgaon instead of by Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC). "Of the 318 hectares land required for the airport and other facilities, 282 hectares has already been acquired. The process for acquiring remaining 36 hectares is going on," the CM said.
AAI has put certain conditions for building the airport. They include providing the airport land on a long lease, building a six-lane road between Amravati and Badnera, waiving off royalty on minor minerals, etc. "The process of widening the Amravati-Badnera Road has begun," he said.
Giving further details, the CM said that state government would provide the land and contribute Rs 90 crore for the project while AAI would invest around Rs 300 crore.
Chavan further said that government had taken a policy decision to build minimum one airport in a revenue division and if possible two. "We will provide night landing facilities in at least one," he told the council.