State gurdwara committee seeks pilgrim flights from Ambala Cantonment
Panel urges weekly services to Nanded, Patna Sahib
Even as operations from the Domestic Airport in Ambala Cantonment are yet to begin, the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) has demanded direct weekly flight services from Ambala Cantonment to Nanded Sahib and Sri Patna Sahib.
The committee has submitted requests to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Principal Secretary of the Civil Aviation Department Amneet P Kumar, also seeking a 60 per cent concession on air tickets for Sikh pilgrims.
HSGMC president Jagdish Singh Jhinda said a special trial flight operated last month from Hisar to Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded, had received a positive response from the community. “We have been receiving requests for regular flights so that more people can travel to Nanded Sahib,” he said.
Jhinda said the committee had requested the Chief Minister to operate a weekly flight from Hisar to Nanded Sahib. In addition, it has demanded two weekly flights from Ambala Cantonment to Nanded Sahib and two to Sri Patna Sahib.
He said both shrines were of high religious and historical significance for the Sikh community and attracted a large number of devotees every year. At present, most pilgrims travel by train, which takes more than a day, while air travel would reduce the journey to a few hours, he added, noting that airlines would get good passenger numbers on these routes.
The HSGMC president said the committee had also urged the state government to ensure early commencement of operations at the Ambala Cantonment airport so that pilgrims could benefit at the earliest. He said the services would benefit not only Sikhs from Haryana but also from neighbouring states.
Jhinda said a meeting had been held with the Principal Secretary, Civil Aviation Department, in this regard and the committee had raised the demand for a 60 per cent fare concession, citing the pilgrim nature of the travel. “We have been assured that positive steps will be taken,” he said.
Separately, he said the committee had also requested amendments to the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Act to remove the requirement of a two-thirds majority for completing the quorum at HSGMC meetings. The issue had been raised with the Chief Minister, who had given a positive response, Jhinda added.
