Bhogapuram airport work to take off soon

Now barring 123 acres, which is sub judice, the remaining land is being handed over to the project proponent to take up work on a fast-track basis

Visakhapatnam: AFTER a lot of dilly-dallying, the work on the Bhogapuram International Airport in North Andhra appears to be finally set for take off with the district administration of Vizianagaram making frantic efforts to complete land acquisition.

Though the greenfield project was mooted in 1997 during undivided Andhra Pradesh, the MoU was signed between the project proponent GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Ltd (GVIAL), a subsidiary of GMR Airports Ltd and the State Government in June, 2020. The work should have started in August same year and completed in December, 2023. However, it could not move an inch forward due to land acquisition problems with regard to private lands in an area of 361 acres. "Now barring 123 acres, which is sub judice, the remaining land is being handed over to the project proponent to take up work on a fast-track basis," Dr G Ch Kishore, Vizianagaram Joint Collector told Bizz Buzz on Wednesday.

In the first phase, the airport is expected to handle 6.3 million passengers annually and increase it to 18 million depending on the demand once it becomes fully operational.

Though the Andhra Pradesh Government allotted nearly 2,500 acres after setting aside 500 acres for itself in June, work could not begin immediately due to the demand by the project affecting people for compensation as per present rate of land.

The erstwhile Telugu Desam Party Government just before the general elections also went to the extent of laying the foundation stone for the airport with a proposal to develop it into aerotropolis and maintenance, repairs and overhaul facility and an aviation academy. The revised project is expected to involve an investment of Rs 4,200 crore. The project is conceived on a public private participation (PPP) model.

Airport Authority of India and GMR Group had submitted technical and financial bids in response to Request for Proposal (RFP) sought by the government in July 2016. GMR bid was accepted after rejecting the offer made by AAI. GMR has developed world-class airports in New Delhi and Shamshabad (Hyderabad). There is buzz that the Visakhapatnam International Airport, a civilian airport under the control of naval air-base INS Dega will be shut down after the Bhogapuram airport launches commercial operations.

Bhogapuram airport project located 40 km north-east of Visakhapatnam, the main commercial hub of Andhra Pradesh, 25 km from Vizianagaram and 55 km from Srikakulam has easy access to National Highway 16 and 43. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy recently directed the officials to expedite work on the airport and launch the Metro Rail connecting jaggery town of Anakapalle to Bhogapuram via Kurmannapalem, the entry point to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and Beach Road Corridor from Bheemili to Visakhapatnam at a cost of Rs 1167 crore. Visakhapatnam is proposed to become the executive capital of AP.