New Delhi/IBNS: As India is looking to promote the Lakshadweep Islands as a tourist destination, the government plans to develop a new airfield at the Minicoy Islands to facilitate both military and commercial aircraft, media reports said.

"The plan is to have a joint airfield that would be capable of operating fighter jets, military transport planes and commercial aircraft," government sources told ANI.

Even though the proposals were on for developing this new airfield in the Minicoy Islands in the past too, this plan of having a joint-use defence airfield has been revived in recent times.

The airfield would give India a strong military base to keep an eye on the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean region.

The Indian Coast Guard was the first force under the Defence Ministry to suggest the development of an airstrip in the Minicoy Islands.

As per the present proposal, the Indian Air Force would be in the lead to run the operations from Minicoy.

The airport at Minicoy would also give the defence forces the capability to extend their area of surveillance in the Arabian Sea while providing a boost to tourism in the region.

The island territory has been the Centre of discussion recently ever since the visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi there last week.

In image PM Modi visiting Lakshadweep Island recently/ courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Politicians in the Maldives' ruling party have been trying to criticise the Indian plans to promote Lakshadweep as a tourist attraction and have tweeted against India.

The same has angered social media users who have now called for a boycott of Maldives and rather promoted Maldives as a more viable destination.