Locals upset with MP after he raises Dhanbad airport issue instead of Bokaro in Parl

Bokaro: With Bokaro residents upset with the delay in the start of flight operations from here, they were miffed after Dhanbad MP Dhulu Mahto raised an issue of Dhanbad airport in Parliament, instead of delay in operation at Bokaro airport though both fall under his constituency. Just ahead of assembly election this year, the saffron party blamed the state govt over the delay. During the inauguration of Deoghar airport in 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Union aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had promised the initiation of flights from Bokaro soon, a promise that has not yet been fulfilled.The foundation stone for the airport was laid in August 2018 by then chief minister Raghubar Das and then Union minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha.The airport, owned by Bokaro Steel Plant and operated by the Airport Authority of India (AAI), falls under the jurisdiction of Union govt.In Parliament, MP Mahto sought clarification on the govt's plans to revive Dhanbad airport. He questioned whether any steps had been taken under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik, which aims to boost infrastructure and air connectivity in underserved areas. Responding to his queries, civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu detailed the efforts under RCS. He revealed that proposals for Dhanbad Airport were submitted during the scheme's Round 5.2. However, progress was stalled due to the Jharkhand govt's refusal to provide consent for land allocation.