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New Pune airport plan gathers steam after delegation meets union minister
A delegation led by former union minister and MP Prakash Javadekar, Sahasrabuddhe, MLA Siddharth Shirole, Pune city mayor Murlidhar Mohol, Pune BJP head Jagdish Mulik and BJP Pune general secretary Rajesh Pande had met defence minister Rajnath Singh and Scindia in Delhi on Thursday
The meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) local delegation with Union minister of civil aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday over a new airport plan for Pune city and extension of Lohegaon airport has once again triggered political upmanship between BJP and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
While the BJP blame the MVA for delay in the new airport project process, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said the party is ready to cooperate for the development of the city.
“The proposal of the new Purandar airport had come to a take-off stage, but the MVA-led state government is yet to clear issues that are delaying it. The defence ministry that plays a major role in airport plans has extended support to clear the proposed project,” said Member of Parliament Vinay Sahasrabuddhe. The site originally proposed for the international airport was changed because of opposition from villagers in Purandar tehsil. A revised proposal, with a change in location, was submitted to the Centre for approval. The MoD gave the NOC on August 12, 2021, with certain conditions for the proposed new site however the NOC was cancelled on September 29, 2021.
A delegation led by former union minister and MP Prakash Javadekar, Sahasrabuddhe, MLA Siddharth Shirole, Pune city mayor Murlidhar Mohol, Pune BJP head Jagdish Mulik and BJP Pune general secretary Rajesh Pande had met defence minister Rajnath Singh and Scindia in Delhi on Thursday.
NCP leader and MP Vandana Chavan on Friday raised the Pune airport issue in the Rajya Sabha and appealed to the government to give its nod at the earliest.
After Pawar had said that he will meet the ministry of defence (MoD) soon to discuss the proposed Purandar international airport plan, BJP leaders rushed to Delhi and met the aviation minister and defence minister regarding the new airport plan.
“Whatever developments carried out at the Lohegaon airport will not be able to meet the future requirements of Pune. Hence, the city needs a dedicated civil airport. Pune has emerged as a global business destination that needs a modern 24x7 airport facility,” said Dhairyashil Vandekar, aviation expert and analyst.
A senior Pune airport official on anonymity said, “About the new location of Pune airport we cannot comment, but as an authority of Pune airport we want to give best facilities to flyers and expansion is important at the Lohegaon airport.”
Sudhir Mehta, president, Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) said, “Pune urgently needs an expansion of the runway at the current airport plus a new greenfield airport. We remain the largest urban conglomeration in the world without a fully functional airport. MCCIA will continue to intensively engage with all decision makers till both become a reality. We can’t afford to lose more time.”
