The foundation stone for a terminal at the LGBI Airport in Guwahati was laid by Union Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday.
The Integrated Terminal Building at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport will be spread over 90,000 sq m.
The building, to be equipped with world-class passenger facilities, will have the capacity to handle around 3,100 passengers during peak hours.
The building at LGBI Airport will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,232 crore.
It will have 20 self check-in kiosks, eight immigration counters, eight customs counters and six arrival carousels.
Besides, the building will also have 64 check-in counters, 10 escalators, 25 elevators, 16 self-baggage drop counters and 20 aircraft parking bays.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Aviation Minister Raju gave credit for the new facility to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
The interiors of the Integrated Terminal Building will depict local handicrafts, murals and popular tourist destinations of Assam.
In his speech, Raju said, “Our aviation team works hard at all levels. Before the NDA government came to power, only 73 airports in the country were connected where commercial flights used to go. But within three and a half years, 18 airports have already started functioning under the present government.”
He also asserted that when the State and the Central Governments work together, “nothing can stop India’s progress”.
Lauding Sonowal’s leadership, the Union Minister further stated, “We have to learn to work together to make our country great in all spheres and under the dynamic leadership of Sonowal, Assam will prosper.”
Highlighting that ‘transportation and connectivity are the two most important means for economic prosperity’, the Union Minister added, the Assam government accords top priority to improve communication and engages in faster development of road, rail and air linkages besides internet connectivity.
Stating that there are 800 million people in the south-east, Raju said that through implementation of Act East Policy the development in the region can be taken forward.
