New Delhi: Development work at four of the six airports selected under the Centre’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN in Jharkhand has been completed, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question raised by House member Parimal Nathwani.
According to the government, the airports covered under the scheme in Jharkhand are Bokaro, Dumka, Jamshedpur, Hazaribagh, Deoghar and Daltonganj.
Flight operations are already functional from Jamshedpur and Deoghar airports, while infrastructure development at Bokaro and Dumka airports has been completed.
However, work on the Hazaribagh and Daltonganj airport projects has not yet commenced, as the state government has not provided the required land for the projects, the Centre said. As a result, progress on both projects remains stalled.
The government further informed the Rajya Sabha that Rs 122.04 crore had been sanctioned in recent years for airport development projects in Jharkhand, of which Rs 117.61 crore has already been spent. The funds have been utilised to develop aviation infrastructure and improve air connectivity to smaller cities in the state.
While the Centre confirmed that development work at Bokaro and Dumka airports has been completed, it did not specify when commercial flight services would begin from these two facilities.
Local official sources indicated that the process of obtaining approvals from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for flight operations is currently underway.
Notably, the government launched a new version of the UDAN scheme on July 4, 2026. The revamped programme aims to connect 120 new or underserved airports and destinations across the country over the next decade, to extend affordable regional air connectivity to nearly 40 million people.
The UDAN scheme was conceptualised under the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016, with a 10-year vision, to connect Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities through a market-driven yet financially supported model.
The scheme incentivised airlines through concessions and Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to operate on regional routes, ensuring affordable fares and improved accessibility.
(IANS)
