Bhogapuram airport a 'historic chapter' for Uttarandhra: Union Minister

The Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram was inaugurated on Saturday in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, and Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu. The minister described the occasion as a historic milestone for Uttarandhra, the northern region of Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Rammohan Naidu said the airport would transform the region's future and remain in people's memories for generations. He called the event far more than a government programme, describing it as a celebration for every household in Andhra Pradesh.

The Union Minister noted that he had inaugurated 16 aviation-related projects with the Prime Minister since assuming office, but none had witnessed such huge public participation. As a native of Uttarandhra, he said the occasion held special personal significance.

Mr. Rammohan Naidu traced the project's history, saying that Mr. Chandrababu Naidu had initiated it during his earlier tenure as Chief Minister, that then Union Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju had played a key role in advancing it, and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had finally made it a reality. He called it a remarkable coincidence that the airport was inaugurated during the NDA government's tenure with himself as Union Civil Aviation Minister.

The minister expressed confidence that the new international airport would open up unprecedented opportunities in investment, tourism, trade, industry and employment, while placing the region prominently on the global map. He said the Centre was planning to establish aviation training facilities in the region to equip local youth with skills and generate employment in the growing aviation sector.

He also stated that the airport would boost tourism and improve connectivity to prominent religious destinations in the area. He mentioned other projects such as a Google data centre, the ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS) project, and the South Coast Railway Zone, which together could make Uttarandhra a major economic hub.

The airport is named after Alluri Sitarama Raju, a tribal freedom fighter who led the Rampa Rebellion against British rule in the early 20th century. The new facility is expected to serve the northern Andhra districts of Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam, improving regional connectivity and infrastructure.