IAF seeks allocation of land for missile stock centre

District Deputy Commissioner Tapan Chandra Sarma told reporters here today that the IAF's request for 1,397 acre for its Missile Centre was being examined as it included 197 acre forest land.

A five-member committee had been formed by the administration with the DC, two senior IAF officials, divisional forest officer of West Sonitpur Division and a revenue official to assess the feasibility for allocation of the land.

Sarma also said that the Indian Defence Authority has requested the allocation of another piece of land measuring 1,190 acre for establishment of its ammunition depot at Kalamati near Missamari in the district.

This request was also being processed by the concerned authority of the state government, he said.

The defence authority had established one section each comprising 12 to 16 Sukhoi aircraft at the IAF stations at Tezpur and Chabua in upper Assam about two years ago, official sources said.

Meanwhile, the Border Road Organisation (BRO) under the defence ministry had completed 60 per cent of the 300-km road stretch from Balipara in the district to Tawang-Bumla in Arunachal Pradesh bordering China.

The road was for smooth movement of heavy and sophisticated weaponry to be stocked in the frontier areas, the sources added.