24 November,2010 06:42 AM IST | | Debarati Palit
Efforts on to acquire land; move will allow bigger aircraft to use airport
The airport may soon get an extended runway if the ongoing proposals for land acquisition fall into place. If the acquisition plans materialise, bigger aircraft will be able to land on the runway.
At present, the acquisition plans are still on paper. According to sources at the airport, the land is being acquired by the air force and the file is still with the district collector.
"The negotiations have been going on for the past six months but we haven't received any confirmation yet. It is agricultural land and negotiations are on with the farmers concerned who will be paid according to the current commercial price. Once the plan is enforced into action, bigger flights can use the runway," said a source at the airport authority.
The runway that is used by the airport authority belongs to the air force. So, the air force is making all the negotiations.
Deepak Shastri, Director, Airport Authority, said that it would take another three months to finish the paperwork. "I am just aware that the file is lying with the district collector who will take a call soon and negotiate with people whose land needs to be acquired," said Shastri. "There are certain procedures that are required and they take time. Once the air force gets the permission, it will definitely help us."
Chandrakant Dalvi, District Collector, who has been out of the city for the past two months, said, "We had asked the air force to deposit a compensation amount with us after which the deal will move further."
