Patna: The stand-off between the Union Civil Aviation Ministry and the Rabri Devi government over safety hazards leading to the Centre's threat to close down the Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna seems to be over.

Barely a day after Union Civil Aviation Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain's threat to close the airport on safety reasons, a high-level meeting was held at the Chief Minister's residence at the behest of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Laloo Prasad Yadav on September 5 evening.

The government agreed to provide the land required for extension, besides partial pruning of trees on condition that the airport would have to be shifted to Bihta in the long run.

Minister for Forest and Environment, Jagdanand Singh, besides top officials of the state, attended the meeting.

District magistrate, Patna, Dipak Prasad, said the government was ready to provide the necessary land.

The meeting decided to allot 0.2 acres of land adjacent to the 4.02-acre plot at Dhobi Ghat which had already been allotted to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on the Eastern flank of the airport.

Efforts will be made to acquire a portion of land owned by the speedcraft factory on the Western flank, he said.

While the AAI had requested the state government to provide 5.02-acre land, the government had allotted only 4.02-acre at a cost of Rs 4.32 crore, official sources said.

PTI