The Assam Cabinet has approved the transfer of 3,000 bighas of land from Doloo Tea Estate near Silchar in Cachar district to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the construction of a greenfield airport. “The land allocation includes an additional 500 bighas beyond the earlier 2,500 bighas earmarked for the airport project. The decision will pave the way for obtaining approval of the Union Cabinet for the project,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced after chairing the Cabinet meeting on Sunday evening.
Sarma informed that the need for a civilian airport was always felt since expansion of the existing defence airport at Kumbhirgram was not feasible owing to heavy air traffic and operational restrictions. It may be noted that the move to transfer land from the tea estate had earlier triggered protests from garden workers who feared would lose their homes and jobs even as the government had allayed their apprehensions.
A controversy had surfaced after the then Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia remarked that the Centre had not received a formal proposal from the Assam government for the project. It was later clarified that the land acquisition was initiated based on AAI’s request. In November 2022, as many as 1,296 families in Doloo Tea Estate had received financial assistance from the government with a sum of Rs 50 crore earmarked for compensation of the workers from Doloo, Lalbagh and Mainagarh estates. However, despite assurances from the government, tea workers, under the Asom Mojuri Shramik Union (AMSU), had expressed dissatisfaction after the completion of a public hearing in June this year, and demanded return of the acquired land or allocation of land elsewhere for tea cultivation.
