Centre gives site clearance for Kuppam and Srikakulam airports
The Union ministry of civil aviation has cleared the proposed airport sites, allowing the Andhra Pradesh government to proceed with construction plans.
The Union ministry of civil aviation has granted site clearance for proposed airports at Kuppam in Chittoor district and Srikakulam, according to the Deccan Chronicle.
The Andhra Pradesh government has identified 1,788 acres for the Kuppam airport and has already acquired 1,300 acres. The first phase of the Kuppam project is estimated to cost Rs 734 crore, with total expenditure for two phases pegged at Rs 1,142.10 crore.
The state has proposed spending Rs 198.75 crore on land acquisition at Kuppam and Rs 146 crore on infrastructure development. Kuppam is one of nine locations identified by the state for airport development, which involves an estimated total investment of Rs 6,418 crore.
Other proposed locations include Amaravati, Nagarjunasagar, Tuni-Annavaram, Tadepalligudem, Ongole, Anantapur, and Dagadarthi. The AP Airports Development Corporation (APADCL) has submitted proposals to the government regarding possible development models.
The government is currently examining whether to use the landlord model, where it retains full ownership, or the public private partnership (PPP) route. A senior APADCL official said the government will communicate its decision to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and issue a request for proposals (RFP) after the model is finalised.
Once the development model is decided, the government will begin the process of selecting an agency to execute the project.