Arunachal: Pema Khandu inspects Hollongi Greenfield Airport Construction site

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu today stressed upon the officials engaged in construction of the Greenfield Airport at Hollongi that the project ought to be finished by August 2022.

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Visiting the site along with state’s Civil Aviation Minister Nakap Nalo, host of legislators and departmental officials, Khandu took first hand report of the ground facts.

Officials of the work departments like Power, PHE, PWD and district administration gave details of works being executed by each like water supply, power, approach road, boundary wall, land acquisition, rehabilitation of displaced Chakma settlers, etc. Most of the works are under execution and the officials assured that by March next year all will be completed except for few that will be executed after completion of works like boundary wall, approach road, etc.

“This project, foundation of which was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is our top-most priority. Please be informed that earlier the completion target was November 2022, which has been changed to August 2022. Work accordingly,” Khandu advised. He also assured that funds won’t be a constraint for completion of any work on time.

The Chief Minister though expressed concern over the slow progress of actual work on the runaway and airport terminal.

Addressing the Chief Project Manager of Dinesh Chandra R Agarwal Infracon Pvt Ltd, a Gujarat-based firm executing the project, Kaushal Patel, Khandu said all assistance would be provided to the firm by the government. He however urged him to speed up the construction process.

“You have got five months of the best working season now. Make full use of it. Work day and night. You have got all our support and cooperation,” he said while adding that he would monitor the progress by personally visiting the site from time to time.

As the airport site lies along the Assam-Arunachal boundary and some land have to be acquired also from the Assam side, Khandu informed that he would soon have a talk in this regard with his Assam counterpart.

“As both Arunachal and Assam will benefit from the airport, we will coordinate with Assam government in successful completion of the project,” he said.

The Chief Minister also visited the rehabilitation site of the 186 displaced Chakma families and interacted with them. He assured them assistance, especially in resolving the drinking water issue, which is under progress. As a temporary solution, water is being supplied through borewells at the moment.

Khandu was informed that 156 families had to be shifted and rehabilitated from the project site and 30 families from the 4-lane approach road. Almost all families have shifted except a few who after harvesting their crops would follow soon.