Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for early completion of Darbhanga airport work

PATNA: CM Nitish Kumar on Wednesday asked the officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI) to complete the ongoing construction works of the civil enclave at Darbhanga airport at the earliest, keeping in mind its ‘huge importance’ for the people of north Bihar.
Nitish, who inspected the ongoing construction works, also spoke to civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri and AAI chairman Arvind Singh over the phone and urged them to remove the hurdles coming in the way of completing the project.
“Certain issues related to the construction works were solved immediately after the CM spoke to Puri,” a state government official accompanying Nitish told TOI over phone.
A civil enclave is being constructed at the Darbhanga airport, which is originally an airbase of Indian Air Force (IAF). “The civil airport at Darbhanga is a very important project. Beginning of flights from this airport will make it convenient for the people of entire north Bihar and increase economic activities in the entire Mithila region. It will also provide new avenues for business and trade,” Nitish said.
The CM asked Darbhanga DM Thiyagarajan SM to regularly monitor the works and ensure the project’s completion at the earliest.
A DGM-ranked officer of the AAI, who was present there, informed the CM that 55% of the civil airstrip works had already been completed.
Nitish also asked the AAI officials to widen the taxi track and expedite the construction work of terminal building. CM also suggested for constructing a separate link road connecting the terminal building to the NH-527B. He also suggested for creating the entry and exit to the terminal building from gate number 1, so that the main entrance to the civil airport and the air force base remains separate.
Water resources minister Sanjay Kumar Jha, chief secretary Deepak Kumar and several other senior officials accompanied the CM, who made a stopover there on way to Jayanagar via road.
Earlier on May 11, the civil aviation ministry had requested the Indian Air Force (IAF) to allow resumption of construction work for the Darbhanga civil airport. “A request has been made to the IAF to allow the work to restart. Once we begin, all works should be over by October 2020,” the civil aviation minister had tweeted.
“Work on Darbhanga airport was (going on) in full swing till it had to be temporarily halted due to the lockdown necessitated by our fight against COVID-19,” Puri had tweeted.