Jaipur, March 7
The long-awaited Kota-Bundi Greenfield Airport project for the Hadoti region formally began on Saturday with the laying of its foundation stone at Shambhupura in Kota.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the ceremony virtually and congratulated the people of the Hadoti region on the occasion.
Recalling his visit to Kota in November 2023, the Prime Minister said he had assured the people that the long-pending demand for an airport would soon become a reality.
"When I visited Kota in November 2023, I had promised that the airport would not remain a dream but would be realised. Today, that moment has arrived. Whatever I promised to Kota, I have fulfilled today," the Prime Minister said, adding that the airport would open new avenues of growth and connectivity for the entire Hadoti region.
The foundation stone for the project was laid by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, and Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu.
Addressing the gathering, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that the Kota-Bundi Airport is not merely a construction project but a symbol of the economic aspirations of the entire Hadoti region.
He noted that representatives from the industry, trade, and tourism sectors had long emphasised that the region's full potential could not be realised without better air connectivity.
Birla said Kota is known nationally and internationally for its industry, fertile agricultural sector, and, most prominently, as a major education hub that attracts millions of students each year.
Due to the absence of air connectivity, reaching the city had remained time-consuming and difficult, he said, adding that the airport will change this by connecting Kota more efficiently to major cities in India and international networks.
Birla also informed that nearly 600 hectares of land near the airport has been allotted to the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) for industrial development. New industries are expected to be established in the coming years.
With the expansion of the Indian Institute of Information Technology Kota, he said, the region is also set to emerge as a new IT hub.
He added that, despite being located on the banks of perennial rivers such as the Chambal and Parwan, thousands of villages in the region had faced water shortages. Today, projects worth thousands of crores are underway to provide drinking water to every household and irrigation facilities to farmers.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said the Kota-Bundi Greenfield Airport was given special priority after the new state government assumed office. He said that administrative, financial, and land-related hurdles were swiftly removed to move the project forward.
"Within three months of forming the government, we removed all obstacles in the way of the airport project," Sharma said, adding that the state government would ensure that no further issues hinder the commencement of flights from Kota.
The Chief Minister said strong infrastructure plays a key role in accelerating regional economic growth and reaffirmed the government's commitment to developing Rajasthan as one of the fastest-growing states in the country.
Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu said the project should have begun much earlier, but faced delays in the past.
He noted that once the present state government assumed office, all pending clearances were obtained within three months. Naidu said the central government is committed to completing the airport within two years.
"If it has to be built, it has to be built in two years," he said, adding that several airlines have already expressed readiness to operate flights from Kota once the airport becomes operational.
He further stated that the existing Kota airstrip will be preserved, and a flying training centre will be established there.
Highlighting the rapid expansion of aviation infrastructure under the Modi government, Naidu said that a new airport is being opened in India approximately every 40 days.
"An airport opens thousands of new avenues of development. A single flight can generate employment for more than a hundred people," he said, adding that the new airport will attract industries and employment opportunities to the region.
Rajasthan Energy Minister Hiralal Nagar said the Kota airport and regional drinking water projects had been long-standing demands that remained pending for years. He noted that under the current government's zero-tolerance policy on corruption, tenders for the projects were finalised at reasonable rates.
MLA Sandeep Sharma also welcomed the project and credited Speaker Om Birla's persistent efforts in resolving land-related issues and clearing the path for the airport project.
He said financial arrangements were also completed swiftly after the formation of the new government.
With the launch of the airport project, leaders expressed confidence that improved air connectivity, along with existing road and rail infrastructure, will boost investment, tourism, and employment opportunities for youth in the Hadoti region.
- IANS
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