Bhogapuram airport nears completion, Budagatlapalem fishing harbour works resumed: Minister

Bhogapuram airport nears completion, while Budagatlapalem fishing harbour work resumes to support local fishing families in Andhra Pradesh.

Roads and Buildings Minister B.C. Janardhan Reddy informed the Andhra Pradesh State Assembly that significant progress has been made in the development of key infrastructure projects, including the Greenfield International Airport at Bhogapuram and the long-pending Budagatlapalem Fishing Harbour.

During the Question Hour on Thursday, the Minister, responding to a question raised by MLAs Matsyarasa Visweswara Raju, Tatiparthi Chandra Sekhar and Regam Matyalingam, said that the Bhogapuram airport is nearing completion, and the government hopes to begin full commercial operations by mid-2026. All mandatory clearances,  including site, defence and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) approvals, are secured from the respective Union Ministries before the foundation stone was laid.

Land acquisition for the project began in 2015 and was completed in phases by 2020, with statutory approvals obtained during the same period. A concession agreement was signed on June 12, 2020, stipulating a 36-month construction timeline. The appointed date was declared on December 14, 2023, the scheduled completion is fixed as December 13, 2026. A major milestone was achieved on January 4, 2026, when a commercial validation flight successfully landed at the airport, he said.

MLAs Eeshwar Rao Nadukuditi and Lokam Naga Madhavi sought details on the progress of fishing harbour projects, particularly the Budagatlapalem Fishing Harbour in Etcherla constituency. Responding to it, the Minister said that the government has decided to directly execute the pending works of the Budagatlapalem Fishing Harbour after cancelling the previous contract.

Mr. Janardhan Reddy informed the Assembly that the earlier agency had completed only 25% of the project. The coalition government has now sought a ₹135 crore loan under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme and has submitted revised cost estimates of ₹445 crore for approval. Nearly 5,000 fishing families depend on the harbour, prompting legislators to press for early completion, he said.