Telangana sanctions ₹2,278 crore for Adilabad joint-use airport project, 2009 acres of land acquisition by December

Published 26 July 2026 · india

The Telangana government has accorded administrative sanction of ₹2,278.14 crore for the development of a Joint User Airfield (JUA) in Adilabad, clearing the acquisition of

The Telangana government has accorded administrative sanction of ₹2,278.14 crore for the development of a Joint User Airfield (JUA) in Adilabad, clearing the acquisition of 2,009.23 acres for a project to be jointly developed by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The Roads and Buildings Department on Saturday issued a Government Order (G.O.) for the project. The order supersedes an earlier proposal to acquire 700 acres for the airport. The project is envisaged to serve both defence and civil aviation needs, with facilities including a civil aviation enclave, cargo terminal, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities, hangars and future expansion.

According to the order, 1,609.23 acres will be acquired for the IAF and 400 acres for civil aviation infrastructure. The decision follows a joint survey by the Ministry of Defence, which recommended a 9,000-foot runway for the proposed airport. While the IAF already has 369.45 acres at the site, it sought an additional 1,500 acres of contiguous, encumbrance-free land for its training establishment. The State government has agreed to acquire and hand over the land free of cost. The project cost includes ₹1,555.11 crore for land acquisition, ₹310 crore for shifting 765 kV transmission towers, ₹57.49 crore for diversion of streams, ₹35 crore for realignment of the Adilabad-Anukunta road, ₹18.76 crore for relocation of electrical infrastructure, ₹3.55 crore for shifting Mission Bhagiratha drinking water pipelines and ₹31 crore towards compensation for structures.

The government said it would bear the expenditure on land acquisition and removal of utilities and other obstacles to expedite implementation. The District Collector, Adilabad, has been directed to complete the land acquisition and allied works, preferably by December 31, 2026. Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy described the Adilabad Joint User Airfield as a strategically important project for Telangana. He said the administrative sanction covered not only land acquisition but also all ancillary works, including road realignment, shifting of high-tension power lines, diversion of streams, relocation of Mission Bhagiratha pipelines and removal of electricity poles.

The Minister said the project would emerge as a strategic asset for Telangana by strengthening industrial development, cargo connectivity, tourism, logistics and national defence, while creating thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities for the youth.