Assam gets Rs 1,000 crore for Guwahati airport upgrade

Guwahati, April 5 : The Centre has given Rs 1,000 crore for upgrading the infrastructure at the international airport near Guwahati, Assam Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said on Wednesday.

The passenger terminal at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport will be upgraded to provide modern facilities and accommodate 6,000 persons instead of 2,000 at present, he said.

The minister said the Civil Aviation Ministry had also given some land for building a cargo terminal. 

"Once a warehouse and a cargo terminal come up, things will be better at the airport," Patowary said.

He said the Assam government also plans to upgrade the inland water transport through the Brahmaputra river.

The Centre had announced Rs 250 crore to dredge a stretch of Brahmaputra river from Dhubri to Chittagong port in Bangladesh to help access the Chittagong and Haldia ports for better water transport.

"Besides, we are dredging the river from Sadiya to Dhubri for barges. Plans are afoot to construct two express highways on both banks of the Brahmapuytra," he added.