JMM demands cargo airport at Chakulia

In the backdrop of Jharkhand government's proposal to develop Industrial Corridor including one between Ranchi-Jamshedpur in the state, the main opposition JMM has demanded the government develop the unused airstrip at Chakulia, around 55 km from here, as a Cargo airport to boost economic activities in the mineral-rich region.
Spread over 650 acres of land, the airstrip was built by Britishers as a back-up airport during the World War II in Chakulia-Dalbhumgarh under Baharagora assembly constituency and lying idle since then, local JMM MLA, Kunal Sarangi, said here today.
It was the best suitable location to develop an airport as the land of the airport was readily available and the long stretch of the tarmac was also in good condition despite lying idle for decades, Sarangi, who is also the Chief Spokesman of the party said.

The demand to develop unused Chakulia airport as a Cargo or Commercial airport has been raised several times in the state assembly including the recent budget session, he said adding that the state government had also responded by forwarding the proposal to the Chairman of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) for necessary action.
During a recent meeting in Delhi, the immediate past Chairman of AAI, R K Srivastav have also confirmed receipt of a letter from Jharkhand government in this regard, JMM leader said.
As the unused airport needed small investment to develop it, Sarangi demanded that AAI should now conduct a feasibility study whether the airport was suitable for a Cargo airport or Commercial.

Land acquisition is a major problem for any development project but the major part of land of the airport comprised of Union and state government as well as forest while small portion of it was a raiyat land (private land), he said.
Sarangi claimed that one of the major reasons behind the development of Gujarat was connectivity as the state has eight airports across the state.