CM Assam clarifies on the issue of Greenfield Airport at Doloo; land acquisition 1st step says Dr Himanta

June 12: The Greenfield Airport supposed to be constructed at Doloo Tea Estate in Cachar district of Assam has been in the eye of a storm since the last few months. Those against uprooting of tea plants at Doloo has been demanding official clarification on this issue by the state government. The repercussion has gone high after an RTI response by the Union Civil Aviation Ministry on 31 May, 2022, wherein it was stated that till now the state government has not submitted any formal proposal for construction of Greenfield Airport at Silchar (at Doloo). The same reply was also given by Civil Aviation Ministry Jyotiraditya Scindia on 9 June, 2022, while responding to a query by TMC MP Sushmita Dev.

However, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday clarified the State Government’s stand and said that a section of the populace was trying to create unnecessary confusion among the people by spreading views, which were unfounded.

Amid the hue and cry over the proposed Greenfield airport at the Doloo Tea Estate in the Cachar district, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday clarified the State Government’s stand, saying that all the ground work has been done on the basis of discussions that he had with Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Dr Sarma said that the state Government proceeded further only after the AAI authority identified Doloo Tea Estate as the best site in the area for the proposed Greenfield airport.

The Chief Minister also stated that his government sat for discussions with the tea garden’s management as well as the labourers’ unions and unanimity emerged at that point for giving the required land for the airport. He also added that what happened at Doloo was not all an eviction, rather it was clearance of the ground with the concurrence of all stakeholders, including the labourers’ unions.

Sarma said that some people are making an unnecessary fuss without studying the facts and figures in detail.  “The Government made a deal with the tea garden owners and procured the land. In fact, even the compensation of Rs 1 lakh to each affected family is nothing but a goodwill gesture on the part of the Government,” the Chief Minister said.”

Ended my intervention on Demands for Grants under #MinistryofCivilAviation with a request to @JM_Scindia ji to expedite the Greenfield Airport at #Silchar as the @CMOfficeAssam has completed the land acquisition process.@nsitharaman @himantabiswa @Gen_VKSingh pic.twitter.com/oBDcehW280

— Dr Rajdeep Roy MP ( MS, MCh) (@drrajdeeproy) March 22, 2022

“The state government has to clear the complete the process of land acquisition before submission of the formal proposal to the Civil Aviation Ministry for construction of Greenfield Airport,” asserted the Chief Minister. It needs mention here that a similar view was expressed by Dr Rajdeep Roy, MP Silchar, who has been instrumental in the construction of Greenfield Airport in Silchar. He,infact, has also met the former and present Civil Aviation Ministers in this connection and had also convened an all-party meeting at Silchar wherein the recognised tea workers Union representatives were also called. It was informed that a consensus on the issue of land acquisition was reached in that meeting. “Controversial issues were raised later by a few in order to derail the process of development initiated by the present BJP government, added MP Dr Roy.

Also Read: MP Dr Rajdeep Roy asks Minister for Civil Aviation to expedite the Greenfield Airport at Silchar