Lawyer serves notice on Centre over airport closure

Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 12

Nitin Kaushal, a city-based lawyer, has served a legal notice on the Centre over closure of the Chandigarh Airport seeking additional rail services and threatening to drag the ministries concerned to the High Court.

It is stated in the notice that the government, in coordination with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Railways, should provide additional alternative means of transport to the citizens of Chandigarh and adjoining districts of Punjab, Haryana and HP on account of partial closure of operations at the airport due to runway repair and full closure of Airport (from February 12-26, 2018).

The Chandigarh Airport currently remains closed for operations from 4 pm to 5 am from Monday-Saturday on account of runway repair, which has led to a reduction in the number of operating flights. There are no flights on Sunday.

As per the notice, it is submitted that one additional Shatabdi train on a daily basis between Chandigarh and Delhi should become functional. In addition, the notice states that on Sunday, the Railways should run the Chandigarh-Delhi Shatabdi at 12 noon and Delhi-Chandigarh Shatabdi at 7.15 pm since the airport remains closed on Sunday.

The notice further states that the lack of coordination between the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Railways was causing hardship to the public, besides increasing traffic on highways and endangering public safety.