The Dornier aircraft lands at Baljek airport on October 23 last year. A Telegraph picture

Shillong, Nov. 9: Baljek airport in the West Garo Hills, built at a cost of Rs 12.52 crore, is ready since a year but not a single aircraft has landed at the airport at Jengjal, 33km from Tura, after its inauguration by President Pratibha Patil with much fanfare.

It was in October 23 last year that Patil declared the airport open after the then NCP-UDP-led Meghalaya Progressive Alliance government persuaded the Centre to make it operational.

On the day of the inauguration, a 19-seater Dornier landed at the airport, after which not a single aircraft had arrived here. Even before the inauguration of the airport, there was undue delay in the completion of the construction because of lack of infrastructure.

Though the project proposal was sent to the Centre way back in 1983, it was sanctioned only in 1995.

After the airport was ready, the President’s secretariat had also objected to the function, informing the government that it was too small a project to be inaugurated by the President.

The private airline operators had also expressed their inability to operate services as the route was not viable.

After protest from the MPA government, the President finally agreed to inaugurate the project.

The present Opposition NCP, which was instrumental in inaugurating the project, said today it had done whatever possible to fulfil the dream of the people of Garo hills to have an airport.

“We have done our best. Sadly we were ousted from power, otherwise, we could have tried all our means to bring aircraft to Garo hills,” NCP spokesperson James Sangma told The Telegraph.

Several Garo hills residents, including businessmen, have pointed out that if small aircraft had been available at Baljek airport, it would have facilitated the people to travel outside Garo hills besides exporting perishable commodities, including fruits and flowers outside the state.

Asked about the delay in making the airport functional even after a year of its inauguration, Meghalaya transport minister Ismail Marak, who is from Garo hills, told The Telegraph that the government is making efforts to see that small aircraft landed at the airport.

“We have submitted a proposal to private airline North East Shuttles to operate an 18-seater aircraft from Umroi to Calcutta via Baljek,” Marak said.

According to the minister, the only problem the transport department facing is the delay in finalising the proposal as high cost is involved in operating the 18-seater aircraft.

Earlier, the transport department had made efforts to negotiate with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and other private airlines to make the airport fully functional, but in vain.

There was also a plan on the part of the state government to approach the North Eastern Council (NEC) for funds to make the airport functional.

As only 20-seater aircraft can land at Baljek airport, the transport department had also suggested the need to expand the runway by acquiring more land to facilitate the landing of larger aircraft.