A CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: Amid controversy as well as confusion over the proposed greenfield airport at Doloo Tea Estate in Cachar, local MP Dr Rajdeep Roy on Thursday reiterated that the entire process was being done as per the procedures. In a press briefing, Roy said, on Thursday itself Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in a letter to the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had clearly stated that the State government could now apply for 'in principle' permission in the prescribed format as per the New Greenfield Airport Policy 2008. On June 12, Sarma in a letter to Scindia detailed the steps his government had taken for acquisition of 2500 bighas of land in Doloo, Dr Roy further added. However he admitted that the proposal was yet to be sent to the Civil Aviation ministry clarifying that as per the policy, a proposal for an in-principle nod from the ministry was to be sent only after the ground works for land acquisition were complete.
Roy said, the process of setting up the greenfield airport in Silchar took off on October 19, 2021 with a formal meeting between the Airport Authority of India and Transport department of the State government. After a technical survey AAI had recommended Doloo for the proposed airport.
Rajdeep Roy refuted the claims made by Patel family that a litigation was pending at court over the proprietorship of the estate. There was absolutely no case pending, maintaining that Roy said, Eastern Company, with which an MoU had been signed for acquisition of land was the rightful owner of the estate.
Roy asked all the organisations which had been opposing the proposed airport at Doloo to come forward and join hands for the betterment of air infrastructure in Barak Valley, as he said, our next generation would reap the dividend.
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