Shillong, Aug 20: The Meghalaya government has decided to speed up the completion of acquiring land for the Shillong Airport expansion project.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Transport Sniawbhalang Dhar assured that there is no delay on the government’s part, stating that the department and its officers are working diligently to complete the land acquisition process.
The government has approved the proposal to acquire 11.75 acres of land for the expansion project, with a compensation package of ₹72.17 crore finalized for landowners.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) requires a total of 22 acres of land for the expansion, and the Defence department has agreed to provide 10.3 acres on a leave-and-license basis.
Dhar informed that while the tender for the extension has been floated and opened, the work is yet to be allotted.
“The government will try to speed up the completion of the land acquisition process,”he said.
The expansion project aims to extend the runway from 1,829 meters to 2,400 meters, enabling larger aircraft like Airbus to land and enhancing connectivity to major metropolitan hubs.
On August 13, the Meghalaya High Court has criticized the slow progress of the Shillong Airport expansion project and directed both the state and centre authorities to accelerate the progress to ensure its completion as soon as possible.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh expressed regret over the lack of commitment and urgency from both the Central and State governments in accomplishing the expansion goals.
It had stated that the State government released ₹72.17 crores for purchasing 11.75 acres of land, but no agreements have been signed with landowners, and the transfer of funds seems to be merely a procedural step.
The bench had also pointed out that the army authorities have allowed the use of some land under their custody, but the demarcation exercise between military and state land is still ongoing.
