The Bhogapuram Airport near Visakhapatnam is ready. Of course, there is a dispute over who started it, who completed it, who should take credit, and who shouldn’t. All of this is purely political.
Those on the TDP side say it is entirely Chandrababu Naidu’s credit, while those on the YCP side argue that the airport materialised because of Jagan Mohan Reddy.
However, now there is a big challenge for Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, to prove his commitment.
“This government says Bhogapuram Airport operations will start by June, but where is the road connectivity?” asked Visakhapatnam YCP district president KK Raju.
“As per the master plan proposed by the YCP government, a 70-metre-wide main road from Visakhapatnam to the airport was planned, but it has been completely ignored. There is only one road now via Anandapuram junction, which already faces severe traffic issues. No DPR, alignment, or permissions are ready. Even if operations begin, how will passengers reach the airport? The alliance leaders are misleading the public with false claims,” he alleged.
In fact, for the new airport to be effectively used by the public, there must be a proper road connecting the city and the airport in the shortest possible time.
Looking back at history, when the Shamshabad Airport was ready, the then Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh, Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, built the PV Narasimha Rao Expressway, the longest highway in Telangana, at war-footing speed.
Can Chandrababu Naidu now replicate that pace? Only if he does so and completes the new road within six months from now can his commitment to development truly be understood.
Will he take up that challenge? Only time will tell.