Agartala: The Agartala Airport would be made an international airport and two abandoned ones would be revamped by the Airport Authority of India (AAI), the Assembly was informed on Wednesday. The Agartala airport set up during World War II would be made an international airport while two other abandoned airports at Kailashahar in Unakoti district and Kamalpur in Dhalai district would be revamped, Transport minister Manik De said.
The decision on the three airports was taken at a meeting between Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Chairman of Airport Authority of India in June last year, De said while replying to a calling attention notice. About the Agartala airport, he said a master plan had been prepared and 72 acre acquired by the state government was handed over to AAI for expansion of the runway.
Altogether 157 families were evicted for this and were compensated by the state government, De said. The minister said that the state government had also urged the Centre to declare Agartala airport as an international one with flights to Dhaka and Chittagong in Bangladesh from Agartala for trade and commerce between the two countries. The master plan for Kailashahar airport was also complete and the district magistrate was asked to acquire the land needed. Stating that 50 acre was required for revamping the abandoned Kamalpur airport, he said that the state government had requested the AAI to reduce the quantum of land.
Meanwhile, sources in the AAI said that the Agartala airport would be made an international airport as part of India’s Look East policy to increase trade and commerce in the North Eastern region and boost its connectivity with Southeast Asian countries. (PTI)