Shillong Airport expansion project
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 15: The High Court of Meghalaya has directed the state government to hand over the land for the Shillong Airport expansion project to the airport authorities within two months.
A division bench of Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh, which heard Additional Advocate General K Khan, Deputy Solicitor General Dr N Mozika and Advocate and Amicus Curiae P Yobin appointed by the court in this writ, also offered to appoint a Special Officer or Commissioner to effect the procurement of land from the individual owners by the state government, if required.
By an order dated 30th April, 2025, the court had directed the state government and central agencies to file a report with regard to the action taken in terms of the previous orders.
The Additional Advocate General submitted why the acquisition of the required land to facilitate the project had not been made, adding that the process of acquiring land has been initiated and that, the Cabinet approval was awaited and likely to be made soon.
“What we had understood earlier from the submissions made was that land acquisition through the procedure under the Land Acquisition Act would take an inordinately long time and that for the purpose of speedy acquisition and handing over of the required land to the airport authorities, land would have to be purchased from individual owners by the state government through private treaty. We only observe and direct that formalities to be observed are the concern of the state government,” the court said in an order.
“What the court mandates is that after observance of all formalities, the land should be handed over by the state to the airport authorities, not later than two months from date,” the order further stated.
It was ordered that if there is any impediment or difficulty in compliance with this direction, the state government will bring it to the court’s notice by an application well within the period of two months.
“If required, we shall appoint a Special Officer or Commissioner to effect the purchase of land from the individual owners by the state, to be handed over to the airport authorities,” the order said.
The Deputy Solicitor General submitted that personnel from the office of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) held meetings with the Shillong Airport authorities with regard to some technical matters and in that meeting, it transpired that there were some obstructions in the flight path to the airport which were required to be removed by the state.
The court directed the state government to hold consultation with the DGCA and do the needful within the said two-month period. Further, it directed the central government to go ahead with the tender process in this period for building or renovating the airport’s infrastructure to facilitate the project so the work can commence immediately on completion of possession of the land.
The court expressed the hope and desire that the Shillong Airport expansion project will make a substantial progress by July 15, 2025.