Positive response to TG from Centre on new airports

New Delhi: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s hard sell for the need for new airports in the state received a positive response from Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ramamohan Naidu.

Revanth Reddy informed Rammohan Naidu about the No Objection Certificate (NOC) obtained from GMR since the distance between two airports should be 150 km. Hence the Centre should consider the proposal of the state government to have an airport at Warangal. He also pointed out that the state government had handed over Rs 205 crore to the Aviation Authority of India (AAI) for land acquisition.

He briefed the Union Minister that since the previously identified land at Bhadradri Kothagudem was not suitable for airport, they had identified 950 acres in Paloncha for the purpose and urged Naidu to see that construction begins.

The CM further said that since the AAI did not approve the land in Peddapalli district, the state government identified 591.24 acres of land at Antargam.

He also informed the Minister that the Indian Air Force (IAF) possessed 369.50 acres of land in Adilabad and an additional 249.82 acres would be required for full-scale operations. Later speaking to the media, Rammohan Naidu said that a technical team would soon be sent to Warangal to speed up the works for the construction of the airport in Warangal and the Centre would also examine all other proposals.

Revanth also met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and urged him to expedite the transfer of 222.27 acres of Defence lands to develop ‘Gandhi Sarovar Project at Bapu Ghat’ at the confluence of Isa and Musi rivers in Hyderabad. He briefed Rajnath Singh about the government’s decision to develop Bapu Ghat, where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were immersed, into a centre for promoting Gandhian philosophy. He said the proposed project will also have a knowledge hub, meditation centre, handloom promotion centre, public entertainment places, a statue of peace and museum.