Union minister of state for culture, tourism and civil aviation Mahesh Sharma on Tuesday said the Bihar government must provide 55 acres to expand runway and other facilities at Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna "before any accident happens".
The minister, who was in Patna on Tuesday, said: "Patna airport has been a problem for the past several years. We have identified 55 acres adjacent to it. I request the state government to take an immediate decision to provide it to us for runway expansion and development."
Officials in the state civil aviation directorate, however, claimed ignorance about any demand for 55 acres from the civil aviation ministry for expansion of Patna airport.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials in Patna claimed that a formal proposal with regard to transfer of additional land would soon be sent to the state government.
Underlining the urgency of the situation, Sharma said the present length of the runway is just 7,000 feet while a minimum length of 9,500 feet is necessary for safe landing of A319, A320 or similar big aircraft.
Sources claimed that against the total runway length of 7,000 feet, only 6,409 feet remains available at the time of landing and take-off because of the airport's location constraint. There is very little scope for extending the runway as it is constrained by Peer Ali Path (Airport Road) on the northern side and Delhi-Howrah railway line on the southern side.
"At present, the pilots face risk while landing," Sharma pointed out. "There is the secretariat clock tower also which acts an obstacle in the approach funnel and further cuts down the length of runway that could be used. If we get the identified land, we will be able to increase the runway to 12,000 feet and ease the situation."
Of the land identified, 48 acres are with the Indian Council for Agricultural Research while the rest 7 acres are with police's special task force (STF). Both locations for the additional land are located on the southwestern side of the airport.
Cost of land acquisition has been the bone of contention between the AAI and the state government in matters related to either expansion of the existing airport or setting up an alternative airport.
The issue over transfer of 7 acres of land belonging to the STF continues to remain unresolved despite the state cabinet okaying transfer of the land to the AAI on January 15, 2013. The AAI had refused to buy this land at the price of Rs 114.66 crore fixed by the state government.
The usual practice across the country is that the state government bears the cost of land acquisition and the AAI looks after development, maintenance and operation of the airport.
"If we get land, we can improve Patna airport in 18 months," Sharma said. "The AAI is ready with money and labour resources to start the work. The state government just needs to give the green signal."
Sharma, an MP from Noida, said he was embarrassed to say that the Patna airport is not a licensed one and its terminal building unable to handle the influx of passengers of even two flights at a time.
He was peaking to reporters at the BJP state headquarters after attending the convocation at Nava Nalanda Mahavihara in Nalanda.
