Uttar Pradesh Government has sought permission from Defence Ministry to allow renovation and re-carpeting of air strip in lalitpur in Bundelkhand at state’s cost so that it could be used by army and civilians alike.
In a letter to Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that if Defence Ministry gives NOC the state government will start renovation of air strip in lalitpur at its own cost.
The air strip was constructed during second world war for which army had acquired 273.70 acre of land. After World War the Defence ministry had transferred 64.74 acres of land to the DGCA, which in revenue records is mentioned in the name of the Civil Aviation department of the State Government and the rest of the land is barren.
Chief Minister said in past too efforts were made for re-carpeting/reconstruction of the air strip but the Ministry of Defence has always objected to this claiming ownership of the land. “This has led to inordinate delays and the air strip is still inoperative,” Yadav said in his letter.
Yadav said that after re-carpeting of the lalitpur air strip other than the State Government, the Indian Army and Indian Air Force can also use it and that the state would have no objections to it.
He has also hoped that the MoD will give its NoC at the earliest for this.
In his letter, the Chief Minister has also told the Union Defence Minister that the development in Bundelkhand region is not at par with other regions of the state and that the Government was doing its bit to bring equality.
Bundelkhand is an important region with historical perspective too, said Yadav and sought cooperation from the Union Ministry to develop the region.