From CK Nayak
New Delhi: After nearly half a decade of its inauguration by none other than President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the Baljek Airport might finally get going now that plans are being mulled to operate small planes from the Airport.
This assurance was given to Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Agatha Sangma, and lone Rajya Sabha MP from Meghalaya, Thomas Sangma, who called on Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Ajit Singh here on Friday.
“The Centre is planning to operationalise all non-functional airports in the country and Baljek Airport will be accorded priority since it is a new airport and it was inaugurated by the president herself way back in 2008,” Singh told the duo.
“We have to ensure air connection to the Garo Hills,” the Civil Aviation Minister assured them.
At present the Baljek Airport has facilities only for a 20-seater Dornier aircraft to land and takeoff.
A plan to operate a Dornier aircraft was mulled earlier, but the proposal has been delayed due to the government’s intention to extend the runway to accommodate bigger 50-seater aircraft.
“The Civil Aviation Minister has assured that he would take up with some airline operators who can operate small ATR aircrafts till the runway is extended,” Agatha told The Shillong Times after the meeting.
Since its inauguration with much fanfare by President Patil in 2008, the Baljek Airport in West Garo Hills has remained non-functional.
It was aimed at opening up the Garo Hill districts to the rest of the country besides boosting tourism infrastructure in the region and smooth transit of perishable commodities.
“Though the airport was inaugurated with lot of fanfare, the dream of the people subsided as days passed,” a joint letter addressed to the Civil Aviation Minister said.
Though Agatha and Thomas agreed that there might be difficulties in getting additional land for expansion of the runway, they urged the Centre to coordinate with various agencies including the State Government so that the Airport could be operationlised at the earliest.
Later, both Agatha and Thomas also met Union DoNER Minister, Paban Singh Ghatowar, who assured them that his Ministry and the North Eastern Council would come forward to make the Baljek Airport operational soon.