Complete Hollongi within targeted time frame: Arunachal govt

Arunachal Pradesh civil aviation minister Nakap Nalo on Tuesday urged the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to put in efforts to complete the greenfield airport at Hollongi within the targeted time frame.

Chairing a meeting with AAI officials and representatives of the Dinesh Chandra R Agarwal Infracon Pvt Ltd, the Ahmedabad-based firm engaged to construct the project, Nalo assured them to extend all possible help in completing the airport.

The minister asked the construction firm and the AAI to coordinate with the state government departments for the smooth execution of the project, a statement said.

The representatives of the firm informed the minister about the approach road to the project site which is not suitable for movement of heavy machinery besides shifting of high and low tension electric lines passing through the project site at the earliest for construction work to begin.

Nalo, assured to shift the electric line by May this year and construction of the approach road on top priority, the statement added.

The contract for construction of the airport project has been awarded to Dinesh Chandra R Agarwal Infracon Pvt Ltd recently through a tender process. The work once awarded has to be completed within a period of 30 months.

After physical completion of the work, the firm shall enter in supplementary agreements with the AAI for operation and maintenance for a period of seven years, including two years of Defect Liability Period (DLP).

The tender process for the terminal building of the airport is also in the pipeline.

The foundation stone of the Hollongi Airport was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 9 last year.