Social impact survey for Gaggal airport expansion

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, March 3

The state government has asked an NGO to conduct a social impact survey of the project for the expansion of the Gaggal airport.

NGO members, who have been assigned the task of conducting the survey, yesterday faced resistance from people of Gaggal, whose land will be acquired for airport expansion.

A social impact survey is a pre-condition before the process of land acquisition is started. In the survey, an independent agency hired by the government would solicit the views of the affected people.

Sources said that Gaggal residents opposed the survey on the plea that the airport expansion would lead to their displacement. They urged the government to announce adequate compensation or a rehabilitation package before the land acquisition process is started.

The sources said that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had directed officials concerned to speed up the work on the project.

A team of revenue officials today visited the area where land is to be acquired for airport expansion. Kangra Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal, who was part of the team, said that the Chief Minister wanted that the Gaggal airport expansion work should be fast-tracked, as it would give a major boost to tourism in the state, especially Kangra.

The Deputy Commissioner said that the Finance Commission had sanctioned Rs 400 crore for the expansion of the Gaggal airport during the stint of the previous BJP government. The airport expansion was a major demand of the tourism industry. The hotel associations of Kangra had also been demanding the expansion of the airport.

The Gaggal airport is proposed to be expanded in two phases. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to expand the airport from the current length of 1,372 metres to 1,900 metres in the first phase. In the second phase, its length was proposed to be increased from 1,900 metres to 3,110 metres.

Residents fear displacement

• Gaggal residents opposed the survey on the plea that the airport expansion would lead to their displacement
• The case for acquisition of 105 acres has been sent to the state government
• The airport expansion is a major demand of the tourism industry
• The Finance Commission had sanctioned Rs 400 crore for the project during the stint of BJP government