Acquiring of land has come in the way of upgrading Agartala airport into an international airport, Tripura Transport Minister Mr Manik Dey told the assembly today.
Replying to a calling attention notice on “Upgrading the Agartala airport in the standard of an international airport” brought by ruling CPI-M member Mr Padma Debbarma, Mr Dey said the Union Ministry of Aviation has now decided to upgrade the airport into a ‘Air hub’
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) had asked the state government to provide 300 acres of land adjacent to the airport free of cost for modernisation of the airport by building new terminal with all facilities, construction of new apron, hanger, cargo complex and car parking, but the state government replied that land could not be available without cost.
The Transport minister said the AAI then requested the state government for providing at least 28 acres of land to them.
The state government in a letter to Aviation minister Ajit Singh on February 21 last has requested them to provide adequate compensation for acquiring 28 acres of land.
He said, earlier the state government had requested the central government for upgrading the Agartala airport into an international airport and establish air connectivity with Dhaka and Chittagong of neighbouring Bangladesh.