IAF gives in-principle approval to hand over 13 acres for Lohegaon airport

Union minister Nitin Gadkari said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has agreed in-principle to handover 13 acres of Lohegaon airport

PUNE: Nitin Gadkari, the Union minister for road transport and highways and the chairman of infrastructure committee of government of India, on Friday said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has agreed in-principle to handover 13 acres of Lohegaon airport.

(From left) Baramati MP Supriya Sule, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Katraj flyover and other NH projects at Katraj, on Friday. IAF gives in-principle approval to hand over 13 acres for Lohegaon airport . (RAHUL RAUT/HT)

Gadkari was in a city to do groundbreaking of flyovers at Sinhgad road and Katraj chowk.

Gadkari said, “It was a long pending issue related to the extension of Lohegaon airport. In the first phase of development, various works were completed but the Air Force was not ready to hand over 13 acres of land for it. Recently, the Air Force submitted a demand to hand over land for them at Chandigarh. In that meeting, I asked the Air Force that we would give you land at Chandigarh and in compensation the Air Force should hand over land at Pune.”

Gadkari said, “As I am the chairman of infrastructure projects in the country, the proposal would be placed before me. The Air Force has given in-principle approval to take land at Chandigarh and hand over 13 acres land in Pune. Now the process for it would start and I would give official approval very soon.”

Gadkari said, “After getting 13 acres of land, Pune airport’s capacity would almost double.”

“Establish ‘New Pune’ around Pune-Bengaluru expressway”

Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari has appealed to deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar to help set up a “New Pune” on the proposed Pune-Bengaluru expressway. Gadkari said, “Pune has become very crowded. Now we must think about “New Pune”. The Maharashtra government and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) can do this project jointly. We would purchase land along this expressway and establish the new city. We can give connectivity of Metro and other transport modes to “New Pune” with existing Pune. To do sustainable development, we must think on such projects.”