Jyotiraditya Scindia hits back at Rajasthan CM over Kota airport
Scindia, however, rejected the allegations in a detailed response his posted on the microblogging site.
Jaipur: Union minister of civil aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday hit out at Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot over his statement blaming the Centre for delays in construction of the proposed greenfield airport in Kota, calling it “misleading” and “without having taken the facts of the matter into account”.
In a detailed response to Gehlot’s allegations, the Union minister said the state government till date has “only allotted 33.4 hectare of land in favour of the Airports Authority of India (AAI)” out of the total 440 hectare proposed.
“The back-and-forth, staggered response and tardy pace of handing over of the land by the state government have delayed the process of development of the Kota airport,” Scindia posted on X. “It shows that CM Ashok Gehlot ji is least interested in the development of Kota Greenfield Airport or civil aviation in the state.”
Gehlot, who inspected the proposed airport site at Shambupura village in Bundi district of the poll-bound state on Thursday, had blamed the Union government for creating hurdles in the construction of Kota airport. “The central government is creating obstacles in the construction of Kota airport. Kota MP and [Lok Sabha] Speaker Om Birla should intervene in this matter and proceed with its construction in a timely manner,” Gehlot had said. “If Om Birla cannot help in this, then we will take up this work and move forward.”
Scindia, however, rejected the allegations in a detailed response his posted on the microblogging site.
“It is unfortunate that…Gehlot has made such a misleading statement without having taken the facts of the matter into account,” he said.
The Union minister further said that the process of diversion of remaining land (out of the proposed 440 hectare) “is yet to be carried out by the state in spite of several reminders by MoCA [ministry of civil aviation] and AAI. The shifting of power grid line is pending despite informing the state, he added.
In spite of all this, Scindia said, his ministry has completed topographical survey of the site; soil investigation work and submitted a report for further action; and awarded work regarding environmental clearance.
