Finally, AAI nod to Rs 4,691.12L international airport terminal building at Halwara

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 6

After much dilly-dallying and extensive deliberations, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has finally approved the construction of a new interim terminal building for the upcoming international airport at Halwara here, the government has confirmed.

OFFICIALSPEAKS

An interim building will be constructed to begin airport operations before raising the regular terminal. The international airport, which is aimed at giving a fillip to the economic development of state’s business and industrial hub Ludhiana, will improve the air connectivity of the industrial capital of the state, besides attracting more investment and jobs for the district. Varinder Kumar Sharma, DC

Following the AAI nod, the work to develop the internal approach road, taxiway, car parking and apron has already been allotted and would begin by November 10 while the second tender for the construction of the interim terminal building has been floated, bids for which were being invited till November 17 and the work would kick-start by December 15, officials have said.

Confirming the development, Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma told The Tribune here on Saturday that the new interim terminal building for the upcoming international airport at Halwara at an estimated cost of Rs 4691.12 lakh had been approved by the AAI at its board meeting held recently.

The project entails construction of the interim terminal building spread over 2,000 sq m area with other associated works, including construction of apron, taxiway, car parking and development of internal approach road.

Sharma, who has been reviewing the progress of the project on a daily basis, said a six-month deadline had been fixed for the construction of the interim terminal building and associated works, to be completed till June next year.

The delay in granting the in-principle approval to the project has missed the January 2022 deadline earlier set by the state government to make the airport operational.

According to the AAI nod, the interim terminal building will be constructed by the state government through its 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.

Already, the construction of the airport link road and 2,333-meter-long boundary wall has been completed.

In a bid to give a boost to the industrial and economic activity in the state, the state 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 at present serviced by a small airport at Sahnewal. Ludhiana also has the advantage of being at the geographical centre of the state.

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-meter-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 international airport from existing 10-feet to 18-feet 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-meter span, on the Halwara drain.

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