No proposal! Jyotiraditya Scindia adds new twist in Dolu debate

A CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: A letter from Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to TMC MP Susmita Dev triggered a fresh round of confusion over the proposed greenfield airport at Dolu Tea Estate in Cachar. In a reply to Dev's letter Scindia on Wednesday informed that his ministry had till date received no proposal for setting up a greenfield airport in Silchar. A few days back, in a reply to a RTI, the Under Secretary to Scindia's ministry too informed the same. Scindia however stated that if any proposal reaches his ministry either from any airport developer or from the State government, that would be considered as per New Greenfield Airport Policy 2008.

Scindia's letter triggered a verbal duel between Susmita Dev and Silchar MP Dr Rajdeep Roy. Susmita, who earlier represented Silchar in Lok Sabha, pointed finger at Roy alleging that the latter had been lying and misguiding the people of Barak Valley. Roy, on the other hand, claimed that the process of setting up the airport was moving in absolutely right direction with strict adherence to the policy. Since the proposal in prescribed format was to be sent to the ministry only after the handing over of land to the Airport Authority of India, the Ministry had not received the proposal, he argued.

In a counter, Susmita said, Roy should have informed the citizens' meet he chaired in the conference hall of Deputy Commissioner's office that the proposal in prescribed format was yet to be sent to the ministry, but instead of placing the facts in front of the citizens, the MP misguided them.

Roy, on the other hand said, Susmita for her petty political mileage had been misguiding the people even after knowing the entire process. Roy further alleged that Dev had even been funding the group behind the anti-airport agitation.

Verbal dual between former and present MPs however turned out to be a futile exercise as the confusion over the proposed airport was further intensified. Scindia's predecessor Hardeep Singh Puri in his speech in Lok Sabha in 2019 stated that the Airport Authority of India had received a proposal for greenfield airport in Silchar. A February 2021 tweet by Puri further said that three sites had been inspected in Cachar. Interestingly present Civil Aviation Minister said no proposal had been received till date for an airport in Silchar.

Acquisition of land measuring 2,500 bighas had already been started in Lalbagh and Mainagarh divisions of Dolu amid labour agitation. State government on the other hand released Rs. 2.37 crore as first instalment of total Rs five crore as compensation to the tea estate and the amount had been distributed among a section of labourers, mostly retired for their PF and benefits. State Cabinet had further decided to give Rs one lakh each to 1,263 families of Dolu.

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