The green field airport project has become a laughing stock. The state cabinet on Thursday for the second time in the last one year recommended Hollongi as permanent site for the green field airport. Earlier on July 18, 2017 the cabinet had approved the Central Technical Committee’s recommendation for Hollongi as the feasible site for the airport and had also urged government of India to start the process of constructing the airport. But to the utter shock of the people of state, the cabinet again on Thursday recommended Hollongi as permanent site. It seems government of Arunachal is playing cruel joke and hurting the sentiments of the citizens of capital complex.
It is a well known fact that Itanagar is the only capital in whole of country not to have an airport of its own. Adding insult to the injury the state government is only busy in recommending site for the airport and is not serious about starting the actual work. The dirty politics behind green field airport is believed to be the main cause for delay. With several politicians who owns land at the proposed airport site in Hollongi expected to benefit from land compensation, the rivals are hell bent on stopping the project. Due to impending assembly and parliament elections, the airport project is not expected to be priority of the state government. The Thursday’s decision of cabinet to recommend Hollongi as permanent site for green field airport looks more like an eye wash.