Minister of State for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), B L Verma, has urged state government officials in Mizoram to expedite the ongoing work for the improvement and upgradation of Lengpui Airport, with a target completion date of October 2023.
The Minister’s call for timely completion came during his visit to inaugurate the Prime Minister Vishwakarma Scheme, an initiative under the Ministry of Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises, which aims to boost the region’s industrial growth.
As B L Verma landed at Lengpui Airport, he took stock of the ‘Improvement/Upgradation of Operational/Non-Operational facilities of Lengpui Airport’ project under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS).
A brief but significant meeting took place at the Lengpui Airport VIP Lounge, where the Minister, along with officials from the Ministry of DoNER, engaged with representatives from the Public Works Department (PWD) and the General Administration Department (Aviation Wing). The discussions centred around the progress of the ongoing project, with a strong emphasis on its timely completion.
Although the initial completion date was set for December 4, 2023, the Union Minister reminded officials that during his visit to the airport on April 11, 2023, he had expressed the desire for it to be completed by October 2023. He encouraged all stakeholders to work diligently to meet this revised deadline. During his visit, the Minister inspected various ongoing works at the airport, including the Elevated Road, Departure Lounge, Baggage Make-Up Area, and other crucial facilities.
PWD and GAD officials explained that due to the nature of electrical work, which is funded through the SASCI (Special Accelerated Road Construction Programme in the North East), expediting progress was found to be challenging.
Accompanying the Minister were GAD Secretary K. Lalthawmmawia; Planning & Programme Implementation Secretary Lalmalsawma Pachuau, Principal Consultant of Aviation Wing Cdr. (Rtd) J. Lalhmingliana and senior officials from PWD, GAD, and the Planning Department.
The ongoing project, with a total budget of INR 1959 lakhs from NESIDS has seen 88% of the civil work completed and 68.31% of the electrical work executed as per latest reports from officials.
