Ciethu Airport to start after ministry approval

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 22 (EMN): Work at Chiethu Airport in state capital Kohima would start after getting approval from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, government of India, and subsequent sanctioning of the requisite funds for the project by the union cabinet.

This was stated by P Paiwang Konyak, minister of Transport, Civil Aviation and Railways, in a reply to the starred question raised by MLA Yitachu on Thursday during the 12^th session of the 13^th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA).

The minister went on to inform that in accordance with the National Policy having an airport in all the state capitals, the government of Nagaland has been pursuing with the central government for the construction of a Greenfield Airport for the state capital Kohima.

He stated that the state government has already purchased a suitable land for the proposed airport measuring an area of 1013.72 acres and ready and to be transferred to the AAI for the construction of the proposed Greenfield Airport at Ciethu for the state capital Kohima.

He stated that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has forwarded the detailed project report (DPR) for Ciethu Airport with a request to the state government to initiate subsequent action basing on the two options of master plan for development of runway area and basic strip.

The option-1 is with a runway length 2200 M at 1434 above mean sea level (AMSL); A-320 (with load restriction) having estimated cost of INR 5695 crore and the option-2 having a runway length 2750 M at 1412 AMSL; A-320 (without load restriction) with estimated cost of INR 8870 crores.

Meanwhile, the minister informed that the state government has decided to opt for option-2 and decided to take further expert consultations to reduce the cost and also to find ways and means to fund the project.

Further in a supplementary answer, Konyak informed that with not bidder to prepare the DPR, the department of Transport had returned the tender documents to the single bidder unopened and subsequently wrote to the AAI requesting to engage a third party consultancy service for the preparation of DPR for Ciethu Airport.

He informed that AAI is considering the request for engaging a third party consultancy service for the preparation of DPR, adding an official communication from the AAI was expected shortly.