Standard Post with Image

Agartala Airport Expansion Caught in Land Trouble

  • Land acquisition problems have cropped up delaying the upgradation of the Agartala airport into an international one, Tripura Transport minister Manik Dey told the assembly today.Replying to a calling attention notice on “Upgrading the Agartala airport in the standard of an international airport” brought by ruling CPM member Padma Debbarma, Dey said the Union Ministry of Aviation has now decided to upgrade the airport into a air hub.Minister for Panchayat, Power and Transport of Tripura, Manik Dey. Image courtesy PIB

  • The Airport Authority of India (AAI) had asked the state government to provide 300 acres of land adjacent to the airport free of cost for modernisation of the airport by building new terminal with all facilities, construction of new apron, hanger, cargo complex and car parking, but the state government replied that land could not be available without cost.The transport minister said the AAI then requested the state government for providing at least 28 acres of land to them.

  • The state government in a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh on 21 February requested the AAI to provide adequate compensation for acquiring 28 acres of land.He said, earlier the state government had requested the Central government for upgrading the Agartala airport into an international airport and establish air connectivity with Dhaka and Chittagong of neighbouring Bangladesh.

Source