Will the Puttaparthi Airport be Risen from the Dead?
Posted by eileenweed on July 6, 2021
The 10th anniversary of the death of Sathya Sai Baba came and went in April 2021, but there is no sign of him nor his town raising from the dead. Every few months, articles appear about plans to make Puttaparthi a grand tourist centre, but nothing much has happened so far. Tourists are not flocking to Puttaparthi as the believing devotees hoped.
Another article has just appeared proclaiming that the “badly neglected” Puttaparthi airport will be “abuzz again”. Will it? Will it really? We are not holding our breath. Should you?
Another article brings up the subject of the attempted sale of the airport in 2012, stating:
“In 2012, the government of the then united Andhra Pradesh, headed by N Kiran Kumar Reddy, had sought to take over the airstrip and turn it into an airport for commercial operations. But, the move did not make headway because of the political situation then.”
https://in.news.yahoo.com/andhra-govt-renews-bid-over-151619621.html
Puttaparthi Airport to be abuzz again
DECCAN CHRONICLE. | DC CORRESPONDENT
Published Jul 6, 2021, 12:02 am IST UpdatedJul 6, 2021, 12:12 am IST
ANANTAPUR: The Puttaparthi Airport would soon get a facelift and begin commercial operations, said industries minister Mekapathi Gowtham Reddy. He said the government was firm on developing Anantapur district as a hub of biotech parks following available feasibility.
The Puttaparthi airport was defunct and confined only to rear visits of VVIPs through chartered flights for many years and the airport had no night landing facility and has been badly neglected after the demise of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
In view of long-pending proposals to develop the airport for commercial use, the minister had a meeting with the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust authorities at Santhi Bhavan in Prasanthi Nilayam in the district on Monday. Trustee R. J. Rathnakar, R&B minister Shankar Narayana, MP Gorantla Madhav and MLA Sridhar Reddy were present at the meeting.
Gowtham Reddy told the media that the defunct airport would get operational soon after making necessary changes and developments. The government wanted to speed up the process including land acquisition towards expansion of the airport to provide a terminal for at least 100 passengers. The Puttaparthi airport was inaugurated on November 24, 1990 to serve the super speciality hospital for emergency situations. The 1000-metre-long airstrip was constructed by L&T ECC. It was later extended to enable the operation of jet aircraft. Though there were proposals to expand the airport to provide cargo services, no steps were initiated due to complications in the land acquisition process.
The airport, however, would be operational with commercial aircrafts in six months, sources said.
The minister also announced plans to complete MSM Park in Puttaparthi area in 104 acres. The minister also visited the biotech industry at Kodur village in Chilamathur mandal.
“The government will establish an IT concept city in Anantapur among the three sanctioned in the state. A skill development centre would be established for unemployed youths,” the minister said.
Sathya Sai Baba Deceptions Exposed 
chrisdokter said
MSM(E) Parks (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) are typically put up in backward areas (at least, that’s what local and state politicians and office bearers are eager to promise), so that would be right on the money as far as the Puttaparthi area is concerned, one might say. And of course the Managing Trustee of the Central Trust, the ‘honorable’ Sri Rathnakar, was in the mids of it. Will it fly? Or will it fall short, just like when Sathya Sai Baba promised it greatness? My guess is as good as yours. If however for some reason it will turn out even a small success I am sure it will be claimed to be ‘swami’s miracle’.