Gadkari Warns Suspension Over Nagpur Airport Runway Delays

02 Jan 2025 CW Team

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has issued a strong ultimatum regarding the delayed recarpeting of the Nagpur airport runway. He warned that officials responsible for the project will face suspension if the work is not completed within a month. Gadkari, who represents the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency, inspected the runway on Monday and expressed his frustration with the repeated delays, which have caused flight rescheduling and increased ticket prices, inconveniencing passengers. The runway, last recarpeted in 2013-14, is operated by Mihan India Limited (MIL) in partnership with the Airports Authority of India (AAI). While MIL has projected a completion timeline of May 2025, contingent on an eight-hour daily runway availability, Gadkari rejected this timeline, demanding completion within a month. The delays have been attributed to contractor and AAI negligence, as well as disruptions caused by the model code of conduct during the Maharashtra assembly elections. The recarpeting work, awarded to contractor M/S KG Gupta in May 2024, officially began in October 2024 but faced suspension from October 9 to November 23 due to the poll code. To expedite the project, Gadkari has formed a committee to oversee the work and warned of suspensions and contract termination if the revised deadline is not met. His firm stance highlights the critical importance of timely infrastructure upgrades at strategic transport hubs like Nagpur airport. (ET)

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