Bhogapuram international airport: Foundation stone laying not in Modi's itinerary

Visakhapatnam: The foundation stone laying ceremony of green field international airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram has been postponed. Andhra Pradesh government was expecting prime minister Narendra Modi to lay the founding stone during his visit to Vizag on Saturday.

It may be recalled that legal hurdles for the Bhogapuram airport were cleared after AP High Court dismissed all writ petitions related to land acquisition. The court said that the total area notified for the acquisition was 2,700 acres (2,200 acres for the construction of the international airport and 500 acres to be utilized for allied activities).

YSRC leaders have claimed that they have informed the foundation stone ceremony of the airport of the prime minister's office (PMO). However, due to technical reasons, the foundation ceremony was not included in Modi's itinerary

Vizianagaram district administration said they are ready to hold the foundation stone laying ceremony at the airport. The administration said they are expecting that chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will decide on the foundation stone laying ceremony soon. The Bhogapuram airport project has been awarded to GMR Group. MoU was signed by the AP government in June 2020 to construct the airport by the PPP partner.

The first phase of the airport project is expected to involve an investment of Rs 2,300 crore. The AP government expects that once the foundation stone is laid for the project, the first phase will be completed by December 2024.