On Monday (28 November), Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed the Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) to build helipads in every taluka in addition to extending airport runways as they can be used for medical assistance in future.
Shinde stated this, while speaking at MADC’s 81st Board of Directors meeting.
He also asked the MADC to investigate the possibility of launching seaplane operations to promote tourism in the Konkan region as well as at the Gosikhurd and Koyana.
“Each taluka should have a helipad, and land should be allotted for the same on priority. It can be used in airlifting of patients with critical health problems, especially in distant areas,” said Shinde, reports Economic Times.
MADC was constituted in the year 2002 by Govt. of Maharashtra as a special purpose company to develop Aviation Infrastructure in the State of Maharashtra to strengthen the regional air connectivity.
MADC was formed with equity participation from:
- City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd. (CIDCO)
- Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT)
- Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC)
- The State Industrial & Investment Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd. (SICOM)
- Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC)
- Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Ltd. (MSRDC)
The meeting included discussions of the airports in Amravati, Shirdi, Gondia, Ratnagiri, and Solapur.
Shinde also instructed officials to work on airport expansion and runway development simultaneously.
According to MADC vice chairman and managing director Deepak Kapoor, a proposal to provide a night landing facility at Shirdi Airport has been made to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
The state has a total of 28 airstrips and 15 airports, according to Kapoor.