Panel set up to intensify airport expansion drive

Ashok Raina

Kangra, February 23

Hundreds of residents of villages surrounding the Kangra airport today gathered in a local ground at Icchhi near Gaggal to form an action committee to lead an agitation against the expansion of the Kangra airport.

Vijay Kumar Sharma, member of the action committee, said a 50-member committee had been formulated to take forward their demand that the Kangra airport should not be expanded as the expansion would destroy Gaggal, Icchhi, Soura and other surrounding villages and it would be difficult for villagers to get reestablished anywhere else.

He said the meeting was attended by the ‘pradhans’ and ‘uppradhans’ of these villages, among other, to raise their voice against the airport expansion. He said the office-bearers of the action committee would be nominated on February 26 and the same day, residents would hold a protest at Gaggal.

He said the protesting residents had decided not to give their land to the government at any cost. Earlier, people had agreed for the expansion of the airport up to the Manji river but the people are now against any expansion of the airport.

The state government is planning to expand the Kangra airport so that big aircrafts land here and tourism gets a boost but locals oppose it because Gaggal and surrounding villages will get dislodged.

Local MLA Pawan Kajal supports the expansion only up to the Manji river and former Transport Minister GS Bali favours expansion of the airport such that least number of families get affected.