Yogi govt expedites Ayodhya international airport project

The Yogi government has expedited its ambitious international airport project in Ayodhya, which it wants to make operational in the first half of 2021, on the occasion

The Yogi government has expedited its ambitious international airport project in Ayodhya, which it wants to make operational in the first half of 2021, on the occasion of Ram Navmi if things go according to plan.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had announced expansion of existing airstrip in Faizabad (now Ayodhya district) at the Deepotsav event in Ayodhya last year. Later, the government approved an international airport named Sri Ramchandra Airport in Ayodhya after the chief minister renamed Faizabad district and sanctioned ₹200 crore (₹ 2 billion) for acquisition of land.

Earlier this week, a four-member team from the Airports Authority of India visited Ayodhya for a ground-check and preparations for the project.

Around 464 acre land has been identified for the mega project that would cost around ₹6400 million. Out of this, only 177 acre could be acquired till date.

District magistrate, Ayodhya, Anuj Kumar Jha said acquisition of land for the airport was going on at a rapid pace and will be completed soon.

Apart from the airport, the Yogi government has big plans for Ayodhya after the Supreme Court paved the way for construction of the Ram temple there, including developing it as a prominent religious destination in north India on the lines of Tirupati. The state government is also planning to come up with ‘Ayodhya Tirtha Development Board’ to regulate all development activities in Ayodhya.

In a bid to connect Ayodhya with the rest of the country, the Modi government has already approved a Rs 100-crore (Rs 1 billion) modernisation plan of the Ayodhya railway station.

The state government has already approved a 251-meter high statue of lord Ram near the Saryu river in Ayodhya.