AP CM Lays Foundation Stone Of Bhogapuram Airport, To Be Built With Rs 4,600 Cr Investment

Andhra Pradesh CM urged the GMR group, which is constructing the airport, to complete the work in two years with two runways which would be capable of handling the largest passenger aircraft.

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the Rs 4,592 crore international greenfield airport at Bhogapuram village in Vizianagaram district, aimed at all-round development of the North Andhra region. Besides the Bhogapuram airport, the Chief Minister also virtually laid the foundation for Rs 194 crore Taraka Rama Sagaram project and Rs 24 crore Chintapalli Fish Landing Centre in the district.

Bhogapuram airport would cater to 40 lakh passengers in the beginning and will grow to serve four crore passengers, emerging as the central point for Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam districts, including changing the facade of North Andhra region, infamous for migration of people, said Jagan Mohan Reddy in a statement shared by the state government on Wednesday. 

The CM noted that the airport with two runways would be capable of handling the largest passenger aircraft, Airbus A380, including a cargo complex, aviation academy, and an aero city. Further, a six-lane highway, whose foundation stone would be laid in four months, will connect Visakhapatnam to Bhogapuram, covering a distance of 60 km. 

The CM has urged the GMR group, which is constructing the airport, to complete the work in two years. According to the CM, North Andhra would soon witness reverse migration by making it a hub for employment, attracting people from different regions.