From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: The case of non-functional Baljek airport at Tura is getting murkier day by day with the North Eastern Council (NEC) now expressing its inability to fund the project.
In a letter to the DoNER Ministry, the Secretary of the NEC UK Sangma said that neither AAI nor the Meghalaya government has asked for fund to develop the Tura Airport.
“Therefore, it will be difficult to take up the airport under NEC funding unless it is proposed by AAI or Government of Meghalaya,” he said in his letter.
The top NEC official’s assertion has put a question mark over the claim of the MPCC working president Deborah C. Marak who had said that the State Government is doing everything for the Tura airport.
She had even ridiculed the move of two NCP MPs from the State — Union Minister of State for Rural Development Ms Agatha Sangma and Thomas Sangma – to meet Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh in this context.
The NEC Secretary suggested that if the state Government wishes to put up a proposal for making Tura airport operational, the same should be forwarded to the Planning Commission for approval before any further action is taken by the Council.
The Congress leader had even said that under the initiative of Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma necessary land was acquired for the airport and the State Government had given all mandatory clearances to make the airport operational at the earliest. According to her, the MPs instead of requesting the Civil Aviation Ministry should have taken up the matter with the State Government.
Incidentally, the Union Civil Aviation Minister had assured the two MPs that his ministry would try to make the airport functional even if it means use of small aircrafts.
“Sadly, Congress leadership in Meghalaya had ridiculed our initiatives instead of appreciating it,” Thomas Sangma, meanwhile, said. “This speaks volume of their immaturity in thinking and attitude towards building a better future for our people,” he added.
