People from all walks of life participated in the “Airport 4 Purnea” campaign’s foot march. The march travelled three kilometers from Renu Park in Line Bazar to the district collectorate.
The members included specialists, engineers, resigned civil servants, attorneys, money managers, and understudies. The Purnia chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), members of the Chamber of Commerce, members of the Lions Club, members of the Rotary Club, and members of the Bar Association had previously offered their assistance to the cause.
Members of the bar association attributed the delay in the civil enclave’s construction to the Centre and the state. Social activists claimed that Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, did not keep his promise during his Samadhan Yatra, implying that the delay was caused by the Centre.
Last year, the Bihar Chief Minister, declared it a “national issue” when he paid a visit to Purnia on February 10 as part of the Samadhan Yatra. He said, “The center demanded, we agreed, yet it has not been constructed.”
“We will try to raise the issue in the proposed rally of Mahagathbandhan on February 25,” stated another social activist named Vijay Kumar Shreevasatava, who reportedly launched the campaign for the civil airport in Purnia.
On social media, members of civil society have already launched a campaign titled “Airport Nhi To Vote Nhi” that has received support from all segments of society.
Sushil Kumar Modi, a leader in the BJP and a former deputy CM, had previously made the claim that the Bihar government did not work with the Centre to build the civil enclave that was planned for Purnia.
He gave a statement that “the land from the north side had sought for the runway, while the southern side was acquired by AAI.” He asserted, “The state government failed to give the assurance letter to AAI for the connectivity road.”
Flight services between Purnia and Patna and Purnia and Kolkata were established in 2012 on the initiative of the Purnia wing commander at the time, Vishwajeet Kumar. However, the benefits were terminated after a year in 2013.
The current IAF airport in Chunapur, which is 10 kilometers from the Purnia district headquarters, was constructed shortly after the 1962 Indo-Chinese war.
The district administration has so far acquired 17 acres, of which 52.18 acres are designated for the Purnia airbase and civil aviation development in Gowasi village, Krityanand Nagar block. And within the next 30 days, the balance of 32 acres will be acquired.
Rahul Kumar, the district magistrate (DM) for Purnia, stated that “the state government had received one-third of the land needed for the Purnia airbase and would receive the remaining portion by the following month.
In 2019, we finished the process of buying land, but 54 out of 75 farmers had objections, and nine of them went to court.”
“We were stuck because the court had put a hold on the case because of the Covid-19 breakout. In two instances, our recommendations to the state government were accepted, and 17 acres of land were purchased,” Kumar stated.
He added, “The rest of the seven cases will be heard within this month and the state government will be given the land for the construction of a civil enclave at Purnia airbase.”
