Chief secy inspects Navi Mumbai airport site, reiterates that project must meet 2019 deadline

Maharashtra chief secretary DK Jain inspected the ongoing construction of Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on Sunday and instructed City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) and the companies involved to ensure that the project is completed on time.

The inspection comes three days after civil aviation secretary RN Choubey claimed that it may be very tough to commence flight operations by end of next year, though the Maharashtra government has consistently said that the first phase of the project will be ready by December 2019.

Also present for the inspection were Cidco vice-chairman and managing director Lokesh Chandra, joint managing director Prajakta Lavangare Verma, and GVK officials Rajeev Jain and Charudutt Deshmukh.

“The chief secretary inspected all sites and asked for detailed information about the project,” said Mohan Ninawe, Cidco’s senior public relations officer. “He reviewed the progress of work on cutting the hill, land filling, diversion of the river and shifting of high-tension electric cables, all of which are part of the airport pre-work projects.”

Jain also inspected resettlement and rehabilitation areas, and visited a zilla parishad school constructed by Cidco.

Following the inspection, he had a detailed discussion with Cidco officials on the various stages of the airport work. Jain asked officials for information on the support they required for the project from other government agencies and how work could be facilitated.

The airport project work has been contracted to Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd., in which the GVK group is a prime partner. Company officials assured Jain that it would soon begin work on the actual airport.