Lack of an airport is a poll issue for Arunachal Pradesh

GUWAHATI: Not having an airport despite the elapse of 27 years of attaining the statehood is turning out to be poll issue in Arunachal Pradesh which is going to assembly polls on April 9.

The state which has simultaneous 60 assembly seat and two seat parliamentary polls is the power house of India where power developers are investing huge money for development of hydro power in Arunachal Pradesh. The state is in the process of developing 41,400.5 MW capacities. However the state has to commute through surface transport and helicopters. The Gauhati High Court has put its seal of approval on the construction of the proposed airport of Arunachal Pradesh at Hollongi.

Earlier the Greenfield airport was proposed to be set up at Banderdewa. Following the government decision to shift the location of airport to Hollongi, an NGO Banderdewa Circle intellectual forum (BCIF) filed a PIL in the Gauhati airport seeking court’s intervention. Taniang Kipa, general secretary of BICF said. "Airport setting has remained a distant dream in Arunachal. Whenever the new chief ministers comes he carries the airport project to his area. However in the election not having an airport is turning out to be a poll issue."