Assam cabinet approves 3,000 Bighas for greenfield airport near silchar

The Assam government on Sunday approved the transfer of 3,000 bighas (nearly 992 acres) of land at Doloo Tea Estate in Cachar district to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the construction of a greenfield airport near Silchar, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Addressing a press conference after a cabinet meeting, Sarma said the decision marks an increase of 500 bighas from the earlier proposal to allot 2,500 bighas for the project. He said the land transfer would pave the way for obtaining the Union Cabinet’s approval, which is required before the airport construction can begin.

The state government had proposed a new airport in Silchar as the existing Kumbhirgram facility is a defence airport and cannot be expanded to cater to the growing volume of civilian air traffic in the Barak Valley. The proposed greenfield airport is expected to address long-term aviation needs of southern Assam.

The land acquisition at Doloo Tea Estate had earlier sparked controversy and protests by tea garden workers amid fears of eviction and loss of livelihoods. In November 2022, the state government had provided financial assistance to 1,296 families residing in the tea estate as a “goodwill gesture”. The government has repeatedly assured that no worker will be evicted from their homes and that there will be no job losses due to the project.

Earlier confusion over the proposal arose when the then Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stated that no formal proposal for a greenfield airport in Silchar had been received from the BJP-led Assam government. The state later clarified that land acquisition was being carried out at the request of the AAI. The Assam government has also announced a compensation package of ₹50 crore for land acquired from Doloo, Lalbagh and Mainagarh tea gardens for the airport project.

In June this year, a public hearing was completed at Doloo Tea Estate. Workers, under the banner of the Asom Mojuri Shramik Union (AMSU), expressed dissatisfaction and demanded either the return of the acquired land or allotment of an equivalent area elsewhere for tea cultivation.

Announcing other cabinet decisions, Sarma said the government approved allotment of land to 1,200 families under its flagship Mission Basundhara scheme. The cabinet also cleared a joint project between state-run Assam Engineering College and Dassault Systems India Pvt Ltd.

The project, to be set up over 5,000 square feet at a cost of ₹243 crore, will offer specialised courses related to aerospace and defence, automotive engineering and electric vehicles. Of the total outlay, the Assam government will contribute ₹43 crore, while Dassault Systems will invest ₹200 crore.

The cabinet also granted administrative approval for the construction of Assam’s second Sainik School at Longvaku in Karbi Anglong district at an estimated cost of ₹335 crore. Of this, 80 per cent will be funded by the Ministry of Defence and the remaining 20 per cent by the state government.

Besides, compensation was approved for 884 families whose land was acquired for the construction of a four-lane National Highway in Dima Hasao district.

Sarma further said the cabinet approved the Assam Logistics and Warehousing Policy, 2025, aimed at transforming the state into a major logistics hub in the Northeast. The cabinet also decided to make Assam’s history and geography compulsory subjects in Classes 6, 7 and 8, based on recommendations of a high-level committee headed by retired Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma for the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.