It’s a more a decade-old dream of the locals that has been rekindled following a proposal in the Union Budget 2020 that was presented on February 1 — to construct 100 airports by 2025. The idea to build the airport at Jakranpally had first been mooted 12 years ago under the Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy government.
In fact, surveys were done twice, and official teams from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) also visited the site in 2008, and later in 2019. In 2008, the then Jakranpally MPP president Ananth Reddy, through the then Minister S. Santhosh Reddy, had presented a report to the government with details of availability of sufficient land in the mandal. Subsequently, authorities identified 1,200 acres of assigned land and 800 acres of patta land. Authorities from the Civil Aviation Department also declared that the land was convenient for the construction of an airport.
Umpteen Gulf fliers
People are expressing happiness over the fresh move as they feel it would enable scores of local migrant workers working the Gulf besides others to travel in comfort from anywhere. According to unofficial sources, about five lakh people from the old integrated districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar and Nizamabad are working in the Gulf.
Located 25 km east of the district headquarters, the site is well connected with all parts of North Telangana. It is just 2 km from NH-44, closer to Armoor Railway Station, NH-63 and Telangana University. The identified land is plain and spread over Jakranpally, Argul, Terlikonda, Kolipaka and Manoharabad villages.
Interested party
Greenfield Project, a private player had reportedly come forward to construct the airport in 2016, and the State government once again sent the proposal to the Centre. “An airport at the site would be suitable and economically viable as many people from the integrated districts travel to Gulf countries every day,” averred former sarpanch of Manoharabad, Tirupathi Reddy.
Better connectivity
To get an idea of the traffic, check this. Everyday 30 flights operate from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad to Gulf countries.
If the airport is set up at Jakranpally, it would be useful for the poor migrant workers from North Telangana districts and also Maharashtra. They can travel to their native places after landing at the airport, taking connecting flights.
