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Upgrade of airport hits the roadblock

DEHRADUN: The non-availability of land may jeopardise the state government’s plan for upgrading Jolly GrantAirport, Rishikesh, toa full-fledged international airport.

Upgrade of airport hits the roadblock

Jolly Grant Airport, near Dehradun, which is awaiting expansion. Additional 100 hectares are required to upgrade the airport to an international one. A Tribune photo



Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 7

The non-availability of land  may jeopardise the state government’s plan  for upgrading Jolly Grant Airport, Rishikesh, to a full-fledged international airport.

While the government has already submitted a proposal to the Cente in this regard, it is believed that the Director-General, Civil Aviation, has verbally told officials in the state government that additional 100 hectares would be required to upgrade the airport. 

The government is awaiting written orders on the matter.  Chief Minister Harish Rawat had recently taken up the matter with the central leadership. However, the issue of more requirement of land surfaced later. 

“The Uttarakhand  Civil Aviation Authority does not posses sufficient land to upgrade the airport. It will have to acquire land from the nearby villages of Athoorwala and  Jolly Grant,” said Akshat Gupta, Additional Secretary, Civil Aviation.   

 The acquisition of land may now prove cumbersome as a major chunk of land adjoining the airport was used for rehabilitating Tehri Dam oustees.

“It will be difficult for the government to acquire more land by displacing people who were in the first place resettled in the adjoining villages in the wake of the Tehri Dam construction. The government cannot displace them for the second time,” said Gupta. Earlier, the airport area was expanded to nearly 30 hectare after the land was acquired by the government between 2000-2007. Further, 120 hectare was acquired at Athoorwala and Jolly Grant. At that time,  the  action by the government forced the villagers to launch an agitation. Twenty families from Athoorwala were relocated to a forest land near Rishikesh.

The Civil Aviation Authority is looking to put in place parking bays and a new terminal building  for international  flights. Sources claim  that the expansion of the administrative  building is a must for starting international flights with sections dedicated to customs and immigration.

“It is observed that many a time,   the Director-General of Civil Aviation  asks for more land so as to shore up its land value. In that case if  the government puts up its case effectively, land norms can be eased,”  said an official.

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