Arunachal Government to monitor the execution of Greenfield Airport at Hollongi

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: Appreciating the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for awarding the Greenfield Airport project at Hollongi, near here, Civil Aviation Minister Nakap Nalo has advocated strict weekly monitoring to ensure its 30-month completion target is met.

The project has been awarded to Ahmedabad-based Dinesh Chandra R Agrawal Infracon Pvt Ltd. The minister stated that the monitoring team would comprise him, Civil Aviation director Tamiyo Tatak and other officers, including his OSD Nabu Chokar.

He asked the director to call a coordination meeting of the general manager or the chief engineer of the firm and the AAI here soon to hold a discussion on the ambitious project that would include a 2,800-sq metre runway. The runway would facilitate landing of wide-bodied aircraft made by Airbus.

Informing that land compensations have been paid to all local inhabitants, Tatak said that the State Government would build the boundary wall, approach road, provide electricity and power supply for the project. “The AAI officers in charge here are AGM Rehman and AGM (civil) Govinda Raju,” he added.

Interestingly, the vast area included cultivable land, local houses of Nyishi, Chakma, Boro, Miri and Karbi tribals and few ponds but there was no sign of either any signboard or foundation stone as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid its digital foundation stone from IG Park here.

A foundation stone was laid at Karsingsa, near here on February 20, 2007 by then Home Minister Shivraj Patil but the site was changed later considering huge hills of the area.

Informing that the Karbis have one hamlet each at Hollongi and Kokila, one Biren Basumatari, whose forefathers lived in the area and enrolled in electoral rolls, complained that the Boro inhabitants were not paid land compensation. But he said that he had shifted to Assam after no compensation was received from the Arunachal government.

While the present Balijan-Hollongi-Itanagar double road has been approved for early construction, OSD Chokar said that the present Itanagar-Hollongi road is about 33-km but another short road would be developed for the airport.

The Union Finance Ministry on January 14 had approved the Greenfield Airport to be built at Hollongi, 25-km away from the State capital at an estimated of Rs 1,055 crore.

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