State showcases aviation progress at Dehradun meet

Haryana's Civil Aviation, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Vipul Goel represented the state in the Civil Aviation Ministers’ Conference held in Dehradun.

Speaking on the occasion, he said due to the foresight of PM Narendra Modi, the state's civil aviation department was touching new heights.

The objective of the two-day seminar was to strengthen the dialogue and coordination between the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, Airport Authority of India (AAI), DGCA and other related organisations, along with the civil aviation departments of all states.

The number of new airports built in the country under the UDAN scheme and other initiatives was remarkable. "This is a change which is now visible on the ground," he said, thanking Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami for hosting the programme.

Goel said the Hisar Airport was inaugurated in April and regular flights had started. “I request Union minister Ram Mohan Naidu to visit Hisar soon and support the state in airport expansion plans," he said.

He said the work on the MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) facility was in progress in Hisar, for which he expected full cooperation from the Central Government. He also proposed that "wherever expressways and highways are being built in the country, it should be made mandatory to develop strips for air ambulance services along with the road. This will give new impetus to emergency services."

The Haryana Government had also initiated the development of heliports in Gurugram and Faridabad. Goel also requested the Chandigarh Administration to provide land for a helipad to the state, enabling helicopter connectivity from Chandigarh to various districts of Haryana.