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Airport in Pune district will be reality, don’t want to speak about site: Ajit Pawar
Meeting between the state government officials, the Pune Airport Advisory Committee and the ministry of defence is expected to take place soon
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PUNE Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday expressed confidence of Pune district getting an international airport despite the ministry of defence (MoD) cancelling the no objection certificate (NOC) for the proposed new airport site of Purandar that was finalised by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
“Airport will be constructed in Pune district. I do not want to speak anything regarding the site because it will be assumed in a different way. The state government is focussed on constructing an international airport in the district. I can tell you with total belief that we will build an international airport for Pune residents,” said Pawar, who was in the city for Covid review meeting on Saturday.
“The airport plan will also be useful for the residents of Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and Ahmednagar. It will have two runways – one for landing and one for take off, and the central government will also play its role in setting up the airport,” Pawar said.
Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in a written response to MP Girish Bapat on December 31, 2021, said, “The MoD had given the NOC (no objection certificate) on August 12, 2021, with certain conditions for the new proposed site, later it cancelled the NOC vide their communication dated September 29, 2021.”
However, leaders from opposition party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – MP Girish Bapat, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil — have also given thumbs up for the airport at Purandar.
“The airport is still possible in Purandar if the MVA government decides to opt for the original site. The proposal of the old site had lapsed after the current government wanted a new site,” Patil had told reporters on January 8.
Bapat had said “The letter only states about withdrawing clearance to the resubmitted proposal with changes. The old proposal still stands and all the clearances obtained so far are also valid. If everyone pushes for the original proposal then, it will happen.”
The ministry of defence is yet to make any comment about the site. Meeting between the state government officials, the Pune Airport Advisory Committee and the ministry of defence is expected to take place soon.
