Govt scraps airport project in Kanpur

Usmani is learnt to have directed officials to send a request to the Union Ministry of Defence to equip the Chakeri airport with facilities for night landing of flights.

The Chakeri airport is under the control of Ministry of Defence and the Airport Authority of India (AAI) uses the Ministry’s building and other set-ups to operate flights.

A state Civil Aviation department official said Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had in 2012 announced to set up an airport in Kanpur Dehat district.

“The district administration of Kanpur Dehat was directed to identify land that would be around 30 to 35-km from Kanpur city while the civil aviation department was told to check the feasibility of the project,” an official said.

“In the meantime,the Kanpur Nagar district administration told the state government that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken a policy decision to develop civil enclaves at various airports in the state and has requested 50 acres of land free of cost at Chakeri in Kanpur for the same,” official said.

The state government them directed the Kanpur Nagar district administration to identify the land for civil enclave and send the proposal to the government.

The state government,in a cabinet meeting on August 20,decided to hand over 50-acre land to AAI in Kanpur for the civil enclave. The cabinet also decided to provide land to AAI at the airports of Bareilly,Allahabad and Agra as well for development of civil enclaves.

Another official added: “A controversy could have broken out as Kanpur Dehat airport would have been within the range of 150-km air distance from Lucknow airport. That restriction does not hold good for Chakeri airport,as it belongs to Defence Ministry.”