District development is possible only through the expansion of infrastructural facilities like ports and airports, said Ongole MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy during a telephonic conversation with The Hindu on Tuesday (November 25, 2025).
The development comes in the wake of a report submitted to the State government by Joint Collector R. Gopala Krishna stating that ₹210 crore would be required to acquire between 750 and 800 acres of land for the proposed greenfield airport at Ongole in Prakasam district. According to sources, initial estimates of the officials and public representatives state that over ₹600 crore is needed for the proposed airport.
Mr. Reddy said, “The State government has already called for the consultants to prepare the techno-economic feasibility study report (TEFR). In the next couple of months, the detailed project report (DPR) will be finalised, and the land acquisition process will start.”
As Prakasam district already has granite, aquaculture, and tobacco industries, it is necessary to build an airport here, he said, and asked the members of G.T. Bharath, the consultancy conducting social audit for the new airport, to examine all the issues and submit the project report at the earliest.
“The State government may also spend another ₹400 crore for the construction of a terminal here. Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu may explore the Public-Private Participation (PPP) model for the completion of the airport. However, he is yet to take a call on this,” Mr. Reddy said, adding that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is also likely to have a financial stake in the upcoming airport.
The Chief Minister has given top priority to organise funds for the proposed greenfield airports at Nagarjunasagar and Ongole. “The State government will give a letter to the concerned agencies on the release of funds once the preliminary reports are prepared,” he added.
Published – November 25, 2025 08:22 pm IST
