Airport runway expansion still ignored

Land acquisition decision pending; farmers warn of agitation

Lokmat News Network

Aurangabad, Sept 1:

The runway expansion at Chikalthana Airport is still pending. The proposal is on the papers for the past one and a half years. The decision of the land acquisition for the expansion is pending. Hence, the farmers on Thursday warned to initiate a severe agitation at the Airport gate if no substantial decision is taken in this regard.

A decision has not yet been taken to decide the policy for land acquisition due to which the expansion proposal has hampered. Initially, it was estimated that Rs 500 crores will be needed for the land acquisition but later the committee appointed by the district administration sent a proposal to the Maharashtra Airports Develpment Company estimating Rs 350 crores for the task. However, it was seen that there was no co-ordination between the district administration, the committee and the company.

Out of the total 182 acres earlier plan, 35 acres were reduced and a new plan with 147 acres was proposed by the committee for the runway expansion. The issue is pending from January, 2021. The district administration sent the runway expansion plan to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) in November, 2021. Later, a committee was established in May, 2022. It was decided to submit a proposal for acquiring 147 acres land at Chikalthana, Mukundwadi and Murtijapur. According, to the new plan, around 1200 properties of the residents would be saved from acquisition.

825 meters runway expansion

The acquired land will be utilized for flight runway and taxi road. The marking was done after the survey in Gut No. 410, 414, 415, 416 and 555 in Chikalthana after the survey. The present runway is 9300 feet (2835 metres) which will be expanded by 825 metres to make a 12,000 feet runway (3,658 metres).

Present situation

Additional district collector of Maharashtra Airports Development Authority, Deepak Nalawade said, presently, a letter has been submitted for the marking of 147 acres of land. Measuring of the land will be done after marking. Then the proposal will be sent to the government. The government will then sanction the proposal and the rates for the land acquisition. Amount has been deposited with TLR for land measurement. The further work will be done after the measurement, he said.