Flight to Nanded in near future unlikely

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 23

Pilgrims are disheartened as the proposed flight between Amritsar and Nanded is not likely to be introduced in the near future. Responding to an RTI query, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, in a communiqué released on September 20, stated that Air India was considering operation of schedule flight on Amritsar-Nanded-Amritsar sector subject to operational readiness of the Nanded airport.

A city resident, Manmohan Singh who annually visits Takht Hazur Sahib in Nanded, said the government indicated many a time to start the flight on the circuit but it never materialised. He recalled that even during the inauguration of the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) Scheme for regional connectivity on April 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had encouraged and invited airlines to initiate flights between Nanded and Amritsar. “The Prime Minister advised airlines to immediately start a Sikh pilgrimage circuit connecting these sites to Amritsar,” he claimed.

Hardeep Singh Chahal, another resident who frequently visits Nanded, said trains took about 36 hours to cover the over 2000-km distance. Sachkhand Express takes 34 hours and 25 minutes to cover 2,083 km and Amritsar–Hazur Sahib takes 33 hours and 15 minutes. He said a few months ago, an MP from Anandpur Sahib Prem Singh Chandumajra gave a statement that Air India would start the flight on the circuit from July 2017. However, even after the passage of two months of the deadline nothing happened.