Shillong, Dec. 3: Baljek Airport in West Garo Hills is yet to become functional even after a month of its inauguration because the memorandum of understanding between the state and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has not been inked.

President Pratibha Patil had inaugurated the airport at Jengjal, 33km from Tura, on October 23. A 19-seater Dornier also landed at the airport on that day.

Frederick Kharkongor, the deputy commissioner of West Garo Hills, told The Telegraph that the memorandum between the state transport department and the AAI has to be signed to make the airport fully functional.

“There will first be a joint inspection of the airport by officials of the state transport department and AAI,” Kharkongor said. After the memorandum is signed, the airport will be handed over to the AAI to make it fully operational.

P.W. Ingty, commissioner and secretary (transport), admitted it would take some more months to make the airport functional. “We are negotiating with private airlines as well as the officials of AAI to facilitate landing of aircraft”, he said. The state government is also planning to approach the North Eastern Council (NEC) for financial assistance in making the airport functional by scheduling regular flights.

Since only 20-seater aircraft can land at Baljek airport, the transport department has suggested extension of the runway by acquiring more land. It was in 1983 that a proposal was sent to the Centre to construct an airport at Baljek and the project was sanctioned only in 1995.

There was a delay in the inauguration as the necessary infrastructure was not in place.

The President’s secretariat had initially objected to the inauguration of the airport saying that the project was too small for the President to inaugurate. Moreover, no private airline was ready to operate with apprehensions about viability.