"The state government has no role in the shifting of the airport site nor has any say in its construction," a press statement from the chief minister office said.
The state government issued the clarification over its stand on the shifting of the airport as the Banderdewa Circle Intellectual Forum (BCIF) are continuing with their agitation over shifting of the airport from Karsingsa to Hollongi.
Giving a genesis of the issue, the statement said that the state government favoured Karsingsa site since the beginning (March 2006).
In the intervening period of official procedures the Public Investment Board (PIB) in March 2009 raised some observations due to higher cost on earth work and suggested to explore alternate site besides recommending use of Lilabari airport instead of constructing a new one in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Ministry of Defence issued a NOC on June 12, 2007 for construction of the greenfield airport at Karsingsa with several preconditions mandatory for operationalizing the airport at later stages. It was found by the Technical Committee and the departments concerned that it would be difficult to abide by the preconditions in case the airport was established at Karsingsa, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) recommended Hollongi as the new site but the state government responded by writing to the Union Civil Aviation ministry on three occasions that it had decided to have the airport at Karsingsa. More