TURA, March 3: The lone air connectivity to the Garo Hills region — Baljek Airport at Jengjal, 30 kilometres from Tura — could have its first flights in as early as next year.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, on Wednesday, announced that the non-functional Baljek Airport could be made operational to coincide with Meghalaya’s 50th Statehood celebration, which takes place in 2022, with air passengers fleeting between Tura town and Umroi airport in Shillong.
The chief minister revealed this during the foundation stone laying ceremony for a parallel border road to the existing Dalu-Baghmara road at Dalu in West Garo Hills.
The airport, initially designed to handle 20-seater aircrafts like the Dornier 228, was inaugurated by the then President Pratibha Patel in October 2008 wherein the first aircraft landed and took off marking Tura in the air connectivity network of the country, for the first time.
Tragically, the airport has been non-functional since then, for reasons best known to the aviation industry and successive governments at the state and Centre.
With regard to the Dalu-Baghmara parallel border road, the 20.853 kilometre long stretch would be upgraded at the total cost of Rs 43.45 crore and the time for its completion has been kept as 36 months from the start of work.
The road project, which is funded under the Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project (MITP), would also include the construction of as many as five RCC bridges. The parallel road, which begins from NH-217 at Dalu Chaipani with the total length of 31 km up to Sibbari falling under Barengapara Division, connects important villages like Chaipani and Baburambil in West Garo Hills and Jatrakona, Sempara, Lower Gasuapara, Angratuli, Khondok, Fakirkona, Dumnikura, Ramchenga, Kapasipara, Dipliparara and Sibbari in South Garo Hills.
The export of coal to neighbouring Bangladesh is also done through this road.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, while highlighting the importance of the project, said that it was a long-awaited one and once completed it would greatly benefit the people of Dalu-Baghmara border areas as the parallel road is crucial for the locals, particularly for trade and business.
The chief minister also informed that the entire amount funded by the World Bank for the Meghalaya Integrated Transport Project in the state is Rs 1,100 crore and Rs 43 crore has been sanctioned for the current project.
He added that the road, which is also crucial for international trade and commerce, would also connect the two districts of West and South Garo Hills.
“This will greatly impact the socio-economic development of the region, rich in agricultural and horticultural produce, which is being supplied across the state and other states by villagers and farmers on foot. We also hope that through this project, the youths will be encouraged to become entrepreneurs in the agri and horti sector,” Sangma said in the presence of Dalu MLA Brening A Sangma and a host of PWD officials and other dignitaries.
The chief minister also drove through several portions of the road to see for himself the quality and speed of the road construction work taking place.
Reacting to criticisms from various quarters that the MDA Government only lays foundation stones and fails to complete the projects, Sangma assured that the MDA and the NPP government would not dupe the people but would fulfill their promises to them.