Conrad wants Govt to fast track land purchase

SHILLONG: The Baljek airport, which has remained non-functional since 2008, will be developed under the Centre’s UDAN scheme for regional aviation, said Tura MP Conrad Sangma.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Sunday, Sangma said land acquisition for expansion of the runway, which is not suitable for landing of big aircraft, was started but it was stuck with the Transport Department.
Sangma said the State Government has to expedite the process of land acquisition.
“Once the airport has all the basic facilities, the Government can think of inviting private or government airlines to operate from Baljek,” he added.
The Baljek airport constructed at a cost of Rs 12.52 crore is in a shambles owing to lack of maintenance and the Government’s callous approach in ‘outsourcing’ the entire complex to BSF and Meghalaya police personnel.
Former president Pratibha Patil inaugurated the airport on October 23, 2008, when the UDP-NCP-led government was in power. The 19-seater Dornier aircraft carrying Patil was the only plane to land at Baljek in the last eight years.
The State Government had formed a committee to find ways to make the airport near Tura operational.
In 2015, the West Garo Hills district administration acquired 58 acres of land worth around Rs 2.59 crore for expansion of the airport and handed it over to the Transport Department.