The state government has been holding discussions with the central government to acquire 10 to 12 acres of land in Umroi for the extension of the airport runway there.
Of this, about 4 acres belong to the defence forces, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said today. The CM stated that he had a positive meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh earlier and is now seeking another meeting with the Defence Minister, Defence Secretary, and the Army Chief to expedite the land acquisition process. He explained that addressing the matter directly with all stakeholders would accelerate the decision-making process, avoiding delays typically caused by lengthy file movements.
The land acquisition is divided into two parts, explained Sangma. The first part involves the agreement for the land swap, which has already been agreed upon in principle. The second part is to expedite the process, as the state wants to begin the runway extension work without delay.
“Currently, there is enough buffer space within the airport boundary to start the runway work, even before the land swap is completed,” Sangma said. However, the Instrument Landing System (ILS) equipment has to be relocated on the defence land required as part of the swap.
To proceed with the runway extension without delay, the state requires a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the army to place the ILS equipment on its land. This would allow construction to begin immediately, saving six months of work time. If the permission is delayed, construction could be postponed until the end of the rainy season, potentially pushing the completion date to September next year.
