Dhanbad deputy commissioner A. Dodde, MLA Raj Sinha and his Sindri counterpart Phul Chand Mandal on Thursday visited Baliapur, 25km from the district headquarters, to inspect 400 acres for a proposed commercial airport.

The team, which reached Baliapur around 12.30pm and spent 25 minutes inspecting the land, directed the local circle office to prepare a detailed report on availability of more acres.

In 2014, the district administration had identified 128 acres belonging to Fertiliser Corporation of India at Harihari, Bardaha and Sambalpur mouzas for the airport. A proposal for development of the airport was sent to the state civil aviation department in September the same year. Last month, a fresh and upgraded proposal was forwarded to the department under the Centre's regional connectivity scheme.

However, during his visit to Dhanbad on July 13 in connection with the rollout of the goods and services tax, Union minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha had told MLA Sinha that a full-fledged commercial airport would ideally need around 400 acres.

Around 300 acres of government land is available near the 128 acres already identified. Besides directing the circle office to prepare the detailed report, Dodde is learnt to have instructed officials to acquire riyati (private) land if it falls near the identified site.

"The visit was fruitful and land available near the area seems fit for the airport. However, its exact status will be assessed by officials of the local circle office," said MLA Sinha.

Following identification of more land, a proposal will be sent to the civil aviation department, which will forward it to the Union ministry.

"The transfer of land (128 acres) belonging to FCIL - which falls under the purview of the Union chemicals and fertilisers ministry - to the Union Civil aviation department won't be difficult," the MLA said.