Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma met Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu in New Delhi this week to demand immediate action on stalled aviation infrastructure. The state has already finished its homework. Land is ready.
Expansion at Shillong Airport in Umroi stands as the primary goal. The state transferred 22 acres to the Airports Authority of India and secured environmental clearances. Officials awarded the construction contract, but work awaits final execution-level approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. To clear the flight path, the state government is relocating the Umden Mission Village at a cost of roughly Rs 150 crore, a pledge already filed with the High Court of Meghalaya. Once the runway extension finishes, the facility will accommodate Airbus A320 aircraft.
Sangma said, "The tender has been completed, the work has been allotted, and we expect that within a few weeks, the actual physical work for the extension of the runway will start." The Union Minister plans to visit Shillong after August 15 to track progress.
The state also pressured the Centre to assume control of Baljek Airport in Tura on an as-is-where-is basis. Meghalaya offered to pay the Rs 63.67 crore project cost upfront, seeking later reimbursement under the Regional Connectivity Scheme. Plans involve starting with 19-seater aircraft before upgrading to ATR-72 and A320 models. The Centre recently signaled support, approving over Rs 60 crore for the upgrade.
Heliport development is accelerating as well. Construction is underway on two sanctioned heliports in Shillong and Tura. Sangma identified nine additional sites for future expansion, gaining in-principle approval from the Ministry for three of those locations. Furthermore, the Chief Minister pushed for a water aerodrome at Umiam Lake to mirror the success of a November 2024 seaplane trial. He requested that the Ministry include Umiam in its mandate for five upcoming national water aerodromes.
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