Finally, allied works at upcoming int’l airport awarded at Rs 15.37-cr

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, April 12

Finally, the task to complete remaining allied works at the upcoming international airport in Halwara, close to Ludhiana, has been allotted, the government has confirmed.

The development assumes significance as it was the third re-tender that had been floated last month for which three bids had been received following the failure of two tenders issued during the past two months.

A senior government functionary told The Tribune, here on Wednesday, that the work had been allotted to a local infrastructure firm at Rs 15,37,15,100, which was 2.7 per cent less than the tender price of Rs 15.87 crore.

He said the allotted firm had been given five months to complete the job and the time frame would begin from April 15 when the company would formally begin the work on the ground.

The state government had floated a fresh tender for the remaining allied works for the first time in February after cancelling and blacklisting one of the two contractors, who had left the work midway due to payment-related issues.

While a single bid was received in the first time, two bidders had evinced interest in the work during the second attempt. However, one of the two bids was rejected as it failed to fulfill certain terms and conditions.

It was after this, the Public Works Department (PWD) had again issued a fresh tender to invite bids for the balance work involving construction of internal roads, estate public health services and campus lighting of the interim airport terminal building at an estimated cost of Rs 15.87 crore.

The received bids were opened on Tuesday following which the work was awarded to the most eligible and lowest bidder.

He said since the work had been allotted, it would not take much time to complete as it would be taken up on a war-footing for early completion.

Meanwhile, the pace of the ongoing work to construct an interim terminal building had been further escalated almost five months after it had resumed and had crossed the 40-per cent mark till date.

The work had resumed on November 17 last after the state government had made available Rs 50-crore corpus for the project.

“The remaining work to build the new international airport has been taken up on a war-footing and all stops have been pulled to complete the ambitious project at the earliest,” the officer said.

He said the flight operations from the new terminal building had been targeted to begin any time before June 30, before which the new international airport would be made operational by completing the construction work and finalising the statutory compliances for the operational purposes.

“The Civil Aviation Department has begun the process to launch the flight operations by the time a new airport comes up,” the functionary said while asserting that both terminal building and internal roads would be built before June 30.

Of the total allocation of Rs 50 crore by the state government, a sum of Rs 12.5 crore had already been transferred while the total requirement estimated so far was of Rs 45 crore.

Reviewing the project, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had recently visited the site and had directed the officers concerned to complete the ongoing work within three months. “We have put the work on a fast-track mode and no delay would be tolerated at any cost,” the CM asserted while adding that there was no dearth of funds.

Pertinently, the construction of the interim terminal building and allied works at the cost of Rs 47 crore had been stalled in March last after the contractors, who had been awarded the work, had refused to carry on the ambitious project following non-payment of their dues.

It was in November last that the state government had formally taken over the pending work to build the international airport coming up at the Air Force Station in Halwara, which is one of the oldest frontline airbases of the Indian Air Force (IAF), close to Ludhiana.

For the purpose, the Finance Department (FD) has released a sum of Rs 30 crore while the Housing and Urban Development Department (HUDD) through the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) has undertaken to bear the expenditure of Rs 20 crore.

Assembly proposes name

The Punjab Vidhan Sabha had recently unanimously adopted a resolution to request the Centre to name the airport after Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha.

Moving the resolution during the Budget session, the Chief Minister had said it would be a humble tribute to the martyr who laid down his life for the motherland. He had said the martyr had been an inspiration for young generations.

New airport by mid-year, says CM Mann

“We have put on a fast-track mode the ongoing work to build a new international airport in Halwara. We are committed to making it operational

by mid of this year as enough funds have been provided and all support has been extended to complete the ongoing work within minimum possible time,” said Bhagwant Mann, Chief Minister.

Turn of events

• April 11: Allied works allotted
• November 17, 2022: Work resumes
• November 9, 2022: Punjab Government decides to take up project and release Rs 50 crore for balance work.
• May 2022: Punjab Government approached AAI to bear the cost of balance work after GLADA failed to release funds.
• March 2022: Both contractors stopped work for want of payments.
• Dec 9, 2021: Work awarded to construct interim airport terminal at Rs 2,272.5-lakh.
• Nov 8, 2021: Work of internal roads and allied infrastructure awarded at Rs 1,604.15-lakh.
• Oct 22, 2021: AAI accorded formal nod to construct new interim terminal building at Rs 4,691.12-lakh.
• Oct 26, 2021: Punjab Civil Aviation Secretary issued administrative approval for release of Rs 4,290.42-lakh through GLADA.

Project report

• 161.28 acres Total area
• 2,000 sq m Terminal area
• Rs 3,876.65 lakh Awarded cost
• Boundary wall, approach road cost: Rs 309.33-crore
• Missed deadlines: January and June 2022
• Fresh deadline: June 30

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