Avenuemail: Ranchi: Friday, June 19, 2026.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has declined to provide a copy of the site inspection report prepared by its five-member technical team following visits to the proposed Dhalbhumgarh Airport site and Chakulia Airstrip on April 11 and 12, 2026.
The information was sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by applicant Shashank Shekhar Swain. In its reply issued by the Airport Director’s office at Birsa Munda Airport, Ranchi, AAI stated that the inspection report is exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1)(d) of the RTI Act, 2005. The provision allows public authorities to withhold information containing commercial confidence, trade secrets, or intellectual property if its disclosure could harm the competitive position of a third party.
The applicant had also sought clarification on whether AAI had accepted a revised project map for the proposed Dhalbhumgarh Airport and the likely runway length after the exclusion of certain disputed land parcels. AAI responded that these queries were in the nature of questions and did not fall within the definition of “information” under Section 2(f) of the RTI Act.
In addition, AAI did not provide details of coordination committee meetings held with the Jharkhand government regarding forest clearance issues for the airport project, stating that the query was not specific.
The response was issued on June 12, 2026, by Airport Director Vinod Kumar. The applicant has been informed of his right to file a first appeal before the designated appellate authority.
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