HYDERABAD: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy Tuesday urged defence minister Rajnath Singh to transfer 222 acres of land from the ministry’s jurisdiction to the state govt for developing Bapu Ghat as a global Gandhi philosophy centre at the confluence of Isa and Musi rivers in Hyderabad.
Revanth met Rajnath Singh in Delhi and explained to him about the ‘Gandhi Sarovar’ project, which will be developed by establishing one of the world’s tallest ‘Gandhi Statue of Peace,’ a knowledge hub, meditation centre, handloom promotion centre, public entertainment places, landscaped ghats and museums at the Bapu Ghat where the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed.
Chief minister Revanth Reddy on Tuesday urged the Centre to grant permission for the development of the airport at Warangal and also clear the proposals for airports at other places in the state.
The CM was accompanied by his deputy Bhatti Vikramarka and other cabinet colleagues. Later, they met civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu and explained to him about the industrial development and also the special efforts being made by the govt to improve transport facilities in the state.
The CM explained to the minister that the state govt had obtained NOC from GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) for building another airport at Warangal, the second largest city in Telangana after Greater Hyderabad. The NOC was required as the agreement with GHIAL had a clause that no airport will be established within a 150-km radius of GHIAL’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad. The state govt has released Rs 205 crore for acquisition of 253 acres of land for the airport.
Revanth told Naidu that the previously identified land for establishment of an airport in Bhadradri Kothagudem district was not suitable and hence 950 acres of land has been identified in Paloncha as an alternative.
The CM also brought to the notice of the Union minister the outcome of the AAI pre-feasibility survey, which said the previously identified land in Peddapalli district was not suitable for construction of an airport. As an alternative site, the state govt identified 591 acres of land at Anthargam and Revanth requested the minister to grant permission for building an airport there. “The Indian Air Force already has 369.50 acres of land in Adilabad, and an additional 249.82 acres is required for full scale operations. The state govt is ready to acquire the additional land and hand it over to the ministry,” the CM said and asked the minister to immediately grant an airport at Adilabad, which has a large tribal population.
