Land cost to be reworked, Gaggal airport expansion faces delay

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, July 22

The Covid pandemic is set to delay the Gaggal airport expansion in Kangra district. Before the outbreak of the pandemic the government was trying to hasten the land acquisition process for the expansion of airport. However, after the Covid lockdown the project seems headed for an inordinate delay.

Sources told The Tribune that the government, in a recent directive, has asked the district administration of Kangra to rework the land acquisition cost for the project. This implies that the district administration would have to re-calculate the cost of the land to be acquired for airport expansion as per new circle rates. The circle rates for registration of the land along the Pathankot-Mandi national highway were slashed by about 40 per cent recently.

The re-calculation of the cost of the land will take a few months leading to delay in the project. Besides, in view of the reduced cost, the people, who would lose lands, are sure to resist the acquisition.

The government had planned to acquire about 40-hectare land for the airport expansion. The revenue officials had estimated that an amount of about Rs 500 crores might be required to acquire the land.

The sources here said that the AAI had asked the state government to handover the land to it for expansion of airport. Since the state government is already facing financial crisis and is in no position to cough up Rs 500 crores on its own, it was planning to submit a case with the finance commission for seeking funds.

The Gaggal airport is the busiest domestic airport of the state. It receives four flights a day during peak season. The flights ply between Delhi and Dharamsala. However, airfares from Delhi to Dharamsala and vice a versa were the highest in the country. At times, one-way air ticket from Dharamsala to Delhi costs between Rs 19,000 and Rs 21,000.

Experts are of the view that the airfares on the Delhi-Dharamsala route remain high as only a 70-seater plane can land here due to shorter airstrip. In case the airport is expanded bigger planes would be able to land that would bring down the airfares.

The expansion of airstrip at Gaggal airport can bring more tourists to Dharamsala as well as Kullu and Manali regions.

The expansion of Gaggal airport in Kangra district has been at the centre of controversy. The traders and farmers of Gaggal region, who fear that their land would be acquired for the airport expansion, had been holding protests.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had appealed to the people that they should not oppose the expansion of the airport for petty gains as it was a historic opportunity for them to get a bigger airport. Citing an example, he said after expansion, the Dehradum airport was receiving up to 30 flights in a day and in case the Gaggal airport was expanded it had the potential of having similar air traffic.

Most of the investors who had come for the Global Investors Meet in Dharamsala had demanded that the airstrip here should be expanded so that it can receive bigger planes.

Rs 500 cr needed for land acquisition

• Revenue officials had estimated that an amount of about Rs 500 crores might be required to acquire the land.
• Sources say the AAI had asked the state to handover the land to it for expansion of airport.
• Amid financial crisis, the state government is is no position to manage funds so it is planning to submit a case to the finance commission for funds.

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