The Meghalaya High Court pulled up the Centre and the state government over the delay in executing the expansion of the Shillong airport, despite repeated judicial directions to expedite the process.
A division bench of Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh on Wednesday observed that while both the Centre and the state government were aware of the critical importance of extending the runway to accommodate larger aircraft, their actions reflected an “absolutely usual government pace” rather than the urgency the project demands.
The court noted that Rs 72.17 crore has already been given to the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) to acquire 11.75 acres of land from private owners. However, no sale or transfer agreements have been executed so far. Instead, officials are still engaged in preliminary demarcation exercises.