AAI to take final decision on international airport terminal building today in Ludhiana

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 25

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will take the final decision on the construction of a new interim terminal building for the upcoming international airport at Halwara in Ludhiana at its board meeting scheduled to be held on August 27, the government has confirmed.

The terminal building has to be built over 2,000 sq m at an estimated cost of Rs 4,290.42 lakh, for which the AAI nod is awaited, the officials have said.

In a letter to Principal Secretary, Civil Aviation, Punjab, Tejveer Singh, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the AAI Executive Director (Engineering), Northern Region, MNN Rao, informed that Ludhiana International Airport Limited (LIAL) at its board meeting held on June 30 had approved the proposal to construct the interim terminal building over 2,000 sq m at Halwara in Ludhiana by the Punjab Government through the state government funds, which will be reimbursed to Punjab or its designated agency by the AAI after monetisation of its land at the existing Sahnewal airport in Ludhiana.

“Keeping in view the resolution passed by LIAL, the AAI will consider the proposal at an estimated cost of Rs 4,290.42 lakh, including 12 per cent GST, at its 202nd board meeting, which is scheduled to be held on August 27,” Rao said.

The AAI ED made it clear that based on approved estimated cost, the Punjab Government can initiate the tender action but work can be awarded only after the approval of the AAI board.

Sharing details, Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma told The Tribune, here on Wednesday that the Principal Secretary, Civil Aviation, Punjab, had given in-principal administrative approval for the construction of interim terminal building and allied works at the cost of Rs 4,250.41-lakh on June 3.

Accordingly, the tenders for road work, taxiway, apron and lighting arrangements on the roads were floated on June 19 and technical bids were opened on July 24, which are under consideration.

Divulging the progress report, the ADC (General), Rahul Chaba, said a teleconference was held between the state and the AAI senior functionaries on August 4, wherein it was decided to send a detailed notice inviting tenders (DNIT) of the interim terminal building to the AAI for vetting, which is still awaited.

Already, the construction of the airport link road and boundary wall has been completed.

In a bid to give a boost to the industrial and economic activity in the state, the Punjab Government and the AAI are jointly setting up a new international civil terminal at the Air Force Station in Halwara, which is one of the oldest frontline airbases of the Indian Air Force (IAF), close to Ludhiana.

The development assumes significance as Ludhiana is Punjab’s largest industrial and business city with a population of nearly 4 million, which is presently serviced by a small airport at Sahnewal. Ludhiana also has the advantage of being at the geographical centre of Punjab.

The Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) had acquired land measuring 161.28 acres, including 135.54 acres for airport and 25.74 acres for future development.

While the work on the construction of 3-metre-high with 660-mm thick punch tape concertina and barbed wire fencing has been completed by the PWD (B&R) at Rs 301.16 lakh provided by GLADA, the widening and strengthening of the existing 5.1-km link road from Aitiana village to the international airport from the existing 10 ft to 18-ft width has been completed by the Punjab Mandi Board at Rs 8.17 crore. The work also included construction of two bridges, each of 8-m span, on the Halwara drain.

“Before the construction of the regular terminal, an interim building will come up to begin the airport operations here,” disclosed the DC.

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