Telangana Government Proposes Second Airport in Hyderabad
Hyderabad, July 31: The Telangana government, led by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, has announced plans to develop a second airport in Hyderabad. The proposal involves requesting the Centre’s permission to utilize the defence airport at Hakimpet for civil aviation, following a model similar to Pune and Goa, where airports are used for both military and civilian purposes.
With Hyderabad experiencing rapid growth, the need for an additional airport has become evident. The current international airport in the city serves around 2.5 crore passengers annually, necessitating the establishment of a second airport on the opposite side of the city.
At the Cabinet meeting, the state authorities approved an allocation of 253 acres for the airport in Warangal, the second-largest city in Telangana. However, they expressed concerns over the delay by the Centre in establishing the Warangal airport.
Furthermore, the Cabinet greenlit the establishment of eight medical colleges in the state, making Telangana the first in India to have one medical college in each district. Additionally, the approval was given to construct four Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) super specialty hospitals in various areas of Hyderabad. These hospitals will offer 50% of their services for general consultancy, while the remaining 50% will be on par with Nizam’s Institute of Medical Science (NIMS) under a hybrid system.
The Cabinet also allocated Rs. 1,800 crore to add 2,000 beds to NIMS and approved the establishment of a Horticulture college in Mahabubabad. These measures are aimed at further bolstering the state’s healthcare and educational infrastructure.
The Telangana government will now take up the issue with the Defence Ministry to move forward with the development of the second airport in Hyderabad and address the growing needs of the city’s expanding population.
