Three greenfield airports in northeastern India

SHILLONG - The civil aviation ministry has approved setting up of three greenfield airports in the northeastern states to improve air connectivity.

An official statement said Saturday that of the three greenfield airports, one at Pakyong in Sikkim is already under construction at a cost of Rs.264 crore.

The two other greenfield airports would be set up at Arunachal Pradesh’s capital Itanagar and Cheitu in Nagaland’s capital Kohima.

The development of Tezu airport in Arunachal Pradesh, at a cost of Rs.79.00 crore, has been approved during 2009-10, it said.

The project is being implemented by the Airports Authority of India. The airport will be ready for operations by March 2012.

Besides, the viability gap funding to M/s Alliance Air for providing air services in the northeastern region has been approved for 2010 and 2011 at a cost of Rs.94.14 crore, the statement said.

On development of national highways in the region, the statement said, about 596 km length has been completed during 2009-10.

“About 2,319 km of roads and highways have been developed in Arunachal Pradesh. Bids have already been received for four projects with a total length of 776 km to be awarded shortly. The Trans-Arunachal Highway forms an important part of this initiative,” the statement said.

The mega rail-cum-road bridge, which has been taken up at Bogibeel over river Brahmaputra, will provide an important link between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Conversion of the metre gauge routes — Lumding-Silchar-Jiribam, Badarpur-Kumarghat and Rangiya-Murkongselek — to broad gauge is being done on a priority basis.

The capital cities of the northeastern states are getting progressively connected by rail.

Guwahati and Agartala are already connected. Projects for connecting the capitals of Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have been taken up, the statement said.