Minister’s comments rekindle city’s hope of air connectivity

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to virtually inaugurate the Halwara airport in Ludhiana on July 27, comments of the Minister of State of Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol have rekindled hope among Patiala residents about better air connectivity.

The city is currently grappling with poor road and train connectivity, hampering it economic growth. The Patiala airstrip is actively used for flight training.

The minister, while replying to a question raised by Member of Parliament (MP) Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal in the Rajya Sabha, said Patiala and Beas airstrips in Punjab were available in the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) Scheme document for bidding. If any airline submits valid bids for connecting these airstrips in future rounds of “Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik” (UDAN), the same will be considered as per the Scheme provisions.

The government had recently announced the modified UDAN Scheme to increase regional connectivity to 120 new destinations and to cater to 4 crore passengers in the next 10 years, stated the minister.

During the session at the Rajya Sabha, Seechewal had asked the minister whether the government was planning to introduce or enhance regional air services under schemes like UDAN to provide affordable flights for smaller cities and towns in Punjab and the future prospects for enhancing air connectivity to rural and remote areas in Punjab through regional aviation.

People associated with hospitality and education sector feel that any move of starting the air operation will give a fllip to the tourism and education sector of Patiala and surrounding areas.

Harpreet Singh Sandhu, an educationist, said air connectivity would prove a boon for Patiala and its neighbouring areas and its economy.

He said hundreds of students from Delhi and the NCR region are studying in engineering colleges such as the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology. Besides, institutions like the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Rajindra Medical College and other prestigious sports and academic institutions also attract students from across the country.

Dr JP Narula, state president of the Rural Medical Services Association and a resident of Nabha, said in the absence of frequent train connectivity, many people prefer to travel by road, which involves a six-to-eight-hour journey. He added that Patiala was also a favourite destination for film and OTT shoots, boasting some of the best hotels and revered religious places. Nabha and Gobindgarh were also known for their agricultural and iron industries.

Dr Amandeep Singh Bakshi, Professor at GMC and Rajindra Hospital, said after Chandigarh, Patiala is considered the next best destination for medical tourism in the region, offering affordable and quality healthcare services.

Doctors from the region are also frequent flyers as they have to travel to various parts of the country to attend CMEs, seminars and other programmes. People from Patiala currently have to travel to Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in Chandigarh, located over 70 km away, to catch a flight. Due to the mushrooming of colonies near the highway and increasing urbanisation, the stretch is often congested with heavy traffic, making it a cumbersome journey of over two hours.

Air connectivity would give a significant boost to the economy of Patiala by connecting it with the rest of the country, said Dr Bakshi.