HYDERABAD: The state government has sanctioned Rs 2,278.14 crore for acquiring 2,009.23 acres for the proposed Adilabad Airport, which will be developed as a joint-user facility for civilian and Indian Air Force (IAF) operations.
Of the total land, 1,609.23 acres will be acquired for the IAF, while 400 acres are earmarked for a civil aviation enclave, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities, cargo operations and hangars. Special Chief Secretary, Transport and Roads & Buildings, Vikas Raj, issued orders to this effect.
As per orders, the airport will be developed jointly by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the IAF to support passenger services, cargo operations, IAF training, MRO and other aviation-related activities.
The project gained momentum after the Ministry of Defence, on May 26, submitted a report based on a joint survey of the proposed airfield. The ministry informed the state government that a 9,000-ft runway would be required.
While the IAF already owns 369.45 acres at the site, it sought an additional 1,500 acres adjoining the existing land to establish a full-fledged training facility. It also requested the state government to acquire the land and hand it over to the IAF free of cost.
On May 30, the state government conveyed its consent to the ministries of Defence and Civil Aviation for the project and requested them to identify the required land.
Subsequently, an IAF team visited Adilabad on June 17 and finalised the land proposed for acquisition by marking its coordinates.
Following the survey, the Adilabad district collector submitted land acquisition estimates to the government and sought cancellation of an earlier order for acquiring 700 acres so that fresh acquisition could be undertaken as per the revised IAF requirement.
In its orders, the government said it had informed the Ministry of Defence that it was prepared to bear the cost of land acquisition and remove all obstacles — including power lines, river diversions and other utilities — from state funds to expedite the project. It added that the land value could be adjusted against any defence land required by the state in the future.
The government reiterated its commitment to extending full cooperation to the Ministries of Defence and Civil Aviation to expedite the airport project. It also requested the Ministry of Civil Aviation to demarcate the proposed 400 acres earmarked for future expansion and aviation-related infrastructure.
Meanwhile, state Roads & Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said the government has directed officials to complete land acquisition, including shifting utilities, by December 31.
He said balanced regional development remains a key objective of the Congress government and expressed confidence that the Adilabad Joint User Airfield would become a game-changer for the development of north Telangana.
The minister attributed the project’s rapid progress to the initiative of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and continuous coordination between the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India.
He added that the state government would bear the cost of land acquisition as well as the removal of all obstacles to facilitate construction.