Visakhapatnam: Exuding confidence that he is getting a second term, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said on Wednesday that he would inaugurate the Bhogapuram Green field International Airport in 2026.
“I laid the foundation stone for the airport, a historic step for north Andhra development, and by God’s grace and with your blessings I will inaugurate this airport,’’ Jagan Mohan Reddy said addressing a public meeting in Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district after laying the foundation on Wednesday morning.
Calling the airport crown of north Andhra, the chief minister said he set the ball rolling for the major development of north Andhra with the airport playing central role in the development for Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam district.
The airport is located about 45km northeast of Visakhapatnam and GMR group is developing the airport with an estimated cost of ₹4,592 crore and this will be the group’s 12th airport. The airport will be developed in PPP mode for which a MoU was signed between AP Airports Development Corporation and GMR Group.
Stating that the rain gods have blessed him on the occasion with a drizzle to mark the occasion, the chief minister said Bhogapuram International Airport would change the face of north Andhra ushering rapid development in tourism, medical tourism, IT sector and infrastructure.
“Within one month, we laid stones for the Mulapeta seaport in Srikakulam, the Bhogapuram and the Adani Data Centre and I am sure north Andhra will become a job hub in the ensuing years,’’ Jagan Mohan Reddy said.
He said people will stop migrating to other states rather unemployed youngsters from other states would arrive in north Andhra for jobs.
He said the first phase will have seven aerobridges, two runways which is rare in India, aircraft maintenance wing, plant quarantine centre, aviation academy, cargo terminal. In the first phase, the airport will handle 60 lakh passengers and after completion of the third and final phase, the turnover is expected to reach four crore passengers. The airport will be developed with cutting edge technology facilitating landing of bigger aircrafts like double decker A380 and A320.
"This world class facility will increase the connectivity of north Andhra with various parts of the world giving impetus to growth of industries and service sector in the region,’’ Jagan Mohah Reddy said.
Jagan Reddy said he would also lay the foundation this June for the six-lane road between Visakhapatnam and Bhogapuram, costing ₹6,500 crore. “I held talks with the Union road transport minister, Nitin Gadkari, recently,” he said.
He said the airport would create five lakh jobs directly and indirectly after completion of all the phases.
Blaming the opposition for creating hurdles to this project, the chief minister said the government overcame legal cases in NGT, high court and Supreme Court and finally laid the foundation stone.
The chief minister also laid the stone for the pending works of Tarakarama Thirtha Sagaram which would cost ₹194 crore and supply five million litres of water to Bhogapuram airport, and drinking water to 49 villages as also irrigate 30,000 acres.
Jagan Reddy laid another stone for the fish-landing centre at Chintapalli village in Vizianagaram district to be built at a cost of ₹23.73 crore.
GMR group chairman Mallikarjuna Rao said it gave him immense satisfaction to build an airport in his home district of Vizianagaram. Nellimarla MLA Bandikonda Appala Naidu requested the chief minister to name the airport after YSR Rajasekhara Reddy.
