New airport project remains grounded

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 26

‘Approved’ by the Central government around 18 months ago, a new airport of international standards exists only on paper as except BJP leaders’ verbal statements nothing has been done on the ground.

Even senior government officers in Samba, where the new airport will come up, are not aware about the “dream” project because they have not received any official communiqué to identify the land for the project.

On December 21, 2017, the then Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and BJP Lok Sabha member from Jammu-Poonch Jugal Kishore Sharma had announced that the Centre had given its nod for a new airport of international standards in the Jammu region. In all likelihood, the airport will be constructed in Samba district.

The BJP leaders had made the statement after meeting the then Civil Aviation Minister Gajapati Raju, who according to them, had agreed to the demand for the construction of a new airport in the Jammu region.

In December 2017, it was also announced that a team from the Civil Aviation Ministry would visit Jammu within days to finalise the land already identified by the state government in Samba district for the new airport.

“Nineteen months have passed after the announcement, but we have not received any official communication to identify the land for the proposed airport,” a senior officer of Samba administration told The Tribune, wishing anonymity, adding, “It appears that the announcement was merely a political statement to hoodwink people”.

Ironically, it was also announced that details of the land would be submitted to the Centre within a week. After the nod of a civil aviation team, a detailed project report was to be prepared and further work taken up.