Meghalaya pushes for expansion of Baljek Airport
The immediate goal is to operationalise the airport for 20-seater aircraft, with a clear roadmap to upgrade it for ATR-72-type aircraft in subsequent phases.
To initiate this process, the State has urged AAI to begin the licensing procedure with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Simultaneously, key agreements on Operations and Maintenance ((O\&M)) and Communications, Navigation & Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) are being formalised to ensure readiness for regulated civil aviation operations.
Baljek Airport was first conceptualised in the late 1990s as part of the central government's vision to enhance air infrastructure in the North East. The construction began in 2001, and the airport was inaugurated in October 2008. Built at an estimated cost of around ₹ 12.5 crore, the airport was originally designed to handle 20-seater aircraft. However, despite the initial enthusiasm, the airport never became operational due to multiple challenges—primarily the lack of licensing, technical readiness, and adequate infrastructure.
The airport has since remained inoperative, despite its strategic importance for the Garo Hills region, which continues to rely on road connectivity and distant airports in neighbouring states.
In its latest proposal, the state government has asked AAI to take over Baljek Airport on an 'as is where is' basis and initiate development procedures. AAI has responded positively but requested acquisition of additional land to make the facility fully functional and scalable.
In line with DPRs prepared by AAI in 2010 and 2017, the state had earlier acquired 56.5 acres of land. AAI has now proposed a total of 125 acres for Phase-I development, incorporating the already acquired land, and an additional 115 acres for Phase-II to support future expansion—including the possibility of extending the runway, building larger terminal infrastructure, and installing advanced navigation systems.
In the immediate term, the plan is to begin operations using 20-seater aircraft such as the Dornier 228, which is commonly used under the Government of India's UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) regional air connectivity scheme. Once the necessary infrastructure is in place, the airport will be upgraded to accommodate ATR-72 aircraft, which are preferred for regional routes due to their capacity and efficiency.
A communique from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) noted, 'The operationalisation and eventual expansion of Baljek Airport is part of a larger commitment to improve connectivity, promote tourism, and drive economic activity in the Garo Hills.'
Beyond civil aviation, Baljek Airport holds critical strategic value. Its proximity to the India-Bangladesh international border positions it as a vital asset in the event of national emergencies or border-related contingencies. As demonstrated in Uttar Pradesh, where the Indian Air Force successfully conducted landing and take-off drills on expressways to test rapid deployment capability, upgraded regional airports like Baljek could serve as alternative runways or forward operating bases for the armed forces. Once the runway and air traffic infrastructure are strengthened, Baljek could be used for emergency military operations, enhancing Meghalaya's and India's preparedness along sensitive frontiers.
Baljek's revival holds regional significance as well. It is expected to reduce travel time for residents of Garo Hills, attract investment, and improve the region's integration with the rest of the country. The airport's functioning will also improve medical evacuation capabilities and response times during natural calamities.
Despite its non-operational status for commercial flights, Baljek Airport has seen landings by several VVIPs and hosted moments of national and international significance. Former President Pratibha Patil made history by inaugurating the airport on October 22, 2008, becoming the first Head of State to land at Baljek. More recently, President Droupadi Murmu touched down at the airport on January 16, 2024, during her official visit to the region, underlining its continued strategic relevance and potential.
The airstrip has also welcomed Indian Air Force aircraft for drills, and hosted concerts by Michael Learns to Rock in 2009, Smokie in 2010, and Venga Boys last year —events that brought global attention to the Garo Hills region and underscored the need for better connectivity and infrastructure.
With political will aligning with technical preparedness, and both the State and AAI committed to the airport's development, Baljek is poised for long-overdue take-off. If successful, its revival will mark not only the return of air services to the region but also a critical leap in Meghalaya's strategic, economic, and infrastructural roadmap.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Govt to roll out free laptops for college students by Oct
Chennai: Tamil Nadu will roll out the first batch of free laptops to college students by October, with three global companies Dell, HP, and Acer competing in the tender. While sources said one of these three firms quoted the lowest price of 23,000 per laptop, officials maintained the bidder will be known only after work orders are issued. K P Karthikeyan, managing director, ELCOT, said the bidding is in its final stages and the govt will likely roll out the distribution of laptops by Oct. "We will announce the lowest bidder soon once the work orders are issued," he said. The govt will distribute 10 lakh laptops in the first phase, and another 10 lakh later. The contractor will also have to set up district-wise maintenance centres and a web portal for students to raise grievances. The spare parts have to be shipped within a few days, and the status of complaints must be live on the portal. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Gold Rates Today in Chennai | Silver Rates Today in Chennai The companies distributing the laptops will supply processors equal to or above Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen, with a minimum RAM of eight gigabytes. The laptops shall be 14 inches or 15.6 inches, and they must have at least one USB C-type port for fast file transfers. These laptops are more modern than the ones provided in the past, which came with dual-core processors and a 2GB RAM, unlike the ones now, which come with four-core processors with 8GB RAM, which can help students stream 4K videos and edit videos. The students will also get a free one-year subscription to Microsoft Office 365 Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Towards an Indian GAIA-X: A civil society-led data infrastructure for democratic digital sovereignty
Nivedita is lawyer and company secretary by training and holds a masters in public policy from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs. Context and rationale India's digital economy is marked by increasing centralization of data and platform control, with a handful of private actors – both domestic and global – exerting monopolistic influence over critical digital infrastructure. Such a centralization of data and platform power poses the following risks: Asymmetrical power relations between platforms and users, workers, and small businesses; Lack of interoperability and open standards, stifling competition and innovation; A vacuum of public accountability in data governance frameworks. This provides the imperative for public-interest alternatives that embed democratic values into data architecture, moving away from extractive, black-box models. Enter the European Union's GAIA-X GAIA-X is a European-led initiative that seeks to create a federated, open, and interoperable data infrastructure, not controlled by any single corporation, but shaped by a consortium of governments, civil society, and enterprises. Its architecture is built on trust, transparency, portability, and open standards, enabling data sovereignty within a competitive and inclusive ecosystem. Why India needs a GAIA-X-type initiative India could benefit immensely from a similar initiative that: Redefines data governance as a public infrastructure concern, not a purely market-driven or state-controlled project. Provides neutral digital infrastructure for small businesses, cooperatives, nonprofits, and worker platforms—who are otherwise dependent on Big Tech platforms with exploitative terms. Establishes certifiable, independently governed protocols for data interoperability, portability, and privacy. Supports community data stewardship models, particularly in agriculture, health, urban governance, and employment. Current landscape: Are there Indian equivalents? India has witnessed a few attempts that are fragmented, top-down approaches toward data infrastructure. These include: IndiaStack (Aadhaar, DigiLocker, UPI): A state-led, centralized digital identity and service delivery stack. While innovative, its control rests heavily with the state and lacks independent governance mechanisms. Data empowerment and protection architecture (DEPA) : A promising but framework to enable user-consented data sharing via Account Aggregators. While DEPA introduces a federated structure, its current applications are mainly on financial and health data, and operational control is largely private-sector-led. ONDC (open network for digital commerce) : A government-backed initiative to create an open, interoperable network for e-commerce. It promotes decentralization, but lacks strong civil society or worker group participation in governance. IndiaAI and India datasets program : These lean toward centralized curation and monetization of public data rather than enabling democratic participation or enforcing open standards. Thus, India does not yet have an equivalent to GAIA-X—a multi-stakeholder, independently governed, and open protocol-based public data infrastructure initiative. Challenges to GAIA-X model adoption in India Political-Economic Barriers : India's data governance model currently favors state centralization and techno-solutionism, rather than decentralization or cooperative ownership models. There is limited institutional support for civil society-led standard setting, especially in digital infrastructure. Market Resistance . Dominant platforms will resist interoperability and open protocols, as these reduce vendor lock-in and profit margins. The political economy of 'free' services has deeply entrenched monopolistic platforms. Policy & legislative incoherence . Fragmented digital policies and industry favourable laws (e.g., IT Rules, DPDP Act, data localization mandates) lack a unified framework to support open, federated architectures. Enabling frameworks: Legal and policy levers Despite the challenges, India has potential legal scaffolding to enable a GAIA-X-style initiative: Framework Relevance Digital personal data protection (DPDP) act, 2023 Offers a legal basis for data processing and protection; can be expanded to mandate data portability and interoperability. Competition act (2002, amended 2023) The CCI has started investigating digital market dominance; this momentum can be leveraged to promote pro-competitive, open data infrastructures. National data governance framework policy (2022 Draft) Proposes non-personal data governance, though still state-centric; can be reformed to include public-interest data trusts and open standards. Open network for digital commerce (ONDC) Offers a template for open protocol development and federated governance—yet needs broader civil society participation and legal anchoring. Path forward To adapt the GAIA-X model in India, the following steps are essential: Convene a civil society-led coalition (legal experts, technologists, nonprofit actors, worker representatives) to define open standards for key data sectors (health, mobility, education, etc.). Pilot sector-specific data commons under democratic governance structures—e.g., worker-owned mobility platforms or farmer-led agri-data cooperatives. Advocate for amendments in DPDP rules and sectoral data policies to recognize open, federated data infrastructures as essential public utilities. Push for independent regulators or data stewardship boards that certify and enforce compliance with open standards, fair data sharing practices, and privacy by design. Engage with global counterparts (e.g., GAIA-X, Solid, DECODE) to build international solidarity for decentralized, democratic digital futures. Conclusion India's digital future must not be confined to binaries of state control vs. corporate monopolies. A third path—rooted in open standards, participatory governance, and legal accountability—is both possible and necessary. As Pacta's research argues, structural reforms in the platform economy must be matched by technical infrastructure that redistributes power, not just data. A GAIA-X-like initiative in India can catalyze this shift, provided it is civil society–led, independently governed, and legally embedded in constitutional values of equality, privacy, and access. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
7 airports in Karnataka were operationalised under UDAN connecting 118 routes
Of the nine airports in Karnataka, seven have been operationalised under the Regional Connectivity Scheme — Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN). As per information by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol to a question in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing winter session of Parliament, airports at Bidar, Mysuru, Vidyanagar, Hubbali, Kalaburagi, Belagavi, and Shivamogga have been developed under RCS-UDAN, and 118 routes have been operationalised under the scheme. 'An amount of ₹ 146.89 crore has been utilised under the UDAN scheme for this purpose. All the seven airports are currently operational. Bidar airport is connected to Bengaluru by Star Air,' he said. He added that most of the routes under the scheme, which completed their RCS tenure, have demonstrated financial viability and continue commercial operations. 'Flight operations on a few routes were discontinued after the expiry of the RCS tenure. To revive these routes, special bidding rounds are conducted to operationalise them,' he added. In reply to another question on current status of development of airports in Ballari, Kolar, Kushalnagar, Raichur and Hassan under the scheme, the Minister said, 'Under UDAN 5.2, bids have been received for small aircraft operations (less than 20 seats) for Ballari and Kolar airstrips. No bids have been received for Kushalnagar, Raichur and Hassan airstrips. 'The Ministry of Civil Aviation has requested the State Government of Karnataka to provide consent, and confirm the availability of land for the development of these airports. This includes ensuring that the land is provided free of cost and free from encumbrances, and is suitable for operating small aircraft (2B) initially, with the potential for future expansion to category 3C,' he said. The Minister added said that the actual timelines for airport projects depend upon various factors, such as land acquisition, mandatory clearances, and removal of obstacles.
