Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 29: In order to ensure early commencement of work on the much-awaited expansion of Jammu Airport, the Ministry of Defence has deputed its Director to sort out with the State Government two critical issues including one pertaining to land under the occupation of the Army, without which the fate of prestigious project is hanging in balance despite earmarking of funds under Special Task Force assistance.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that following repeated requests from the State Government, the Defence Ministry has deputed its Director Land Works, Colonel K R Singh to hold threadbare discussion with the civil administration of Jammu on both the vital issues on August 1, 2012.
In the meeting, State Government will be represented by Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Pardeep Gupta. The senior officers of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) posted at Jammu and 26 Army Division will also participate in the deliberations on the issues pertaining to allotment of alternate land to the Army at Sunjwan in lieu of land already under its occupation adjacent to the Jammu Airport and alignment of 132 KV electricity transmission line, sources informed.
“This meeting is in the follow-up of the recent meeting of Kashmir Affairs Department in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) wherein the Resident Commissioner of the State Government, R K Goyal impressed upon the Ministry of Defence representatives the necessity of expanding Jammu Airport and clearances required from the MoD”, sources said, adding “Joint Secretary MHA, who was chairing the meeting, asked the MoD representatives to depute a senior officer to Jammu for settlement of both the issues so that expansion of airport could start at the earliest”.
When contacted, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Pardeep Gupta confirmed that Director Land Works in Ministry of Defence would hold discussion on both the issues on August 1, 2012.
“Following the approval of the State Cabinet in the month of May this year, a copy of the formal sanction for transfer of land at Sunjwan to the Army in lieu of land under its occupation adjoining the airport was given to General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 26 Army Division and now we are awaiting for the approval of the MoD”, Mr Gupta said.
In response to a question, the Divisional Commissioner said, “for the expansion of airport we have to change the alignment of 132 KV electricity transmission line. We explored all possibilities but by all means the new alignment will pass through area within three kilometers from the runway and as per the laid down guidelines we need clearance and approval of the Ministry of Defence for this also”.
“We will explain our difficulty in this regard to the visiting Director Land Works of the Defence Ministry”, Mr Gupta added.
About the shifting of other utilities, he said, “we will have to re-route road stretch and change the alignment of irrigation channel in order to pave the way for expansion of Jammu airport”, adding “out of total funds earmarked under Special Task Force assistance, an amount of Rs 20 crore was released last year”.
Responding to another question, the Divisional Commissioner said that the prestigious project is aimed at expanding the length of runway of Jammu airport by 1300 feet from existing length of 6700 feet in order to pave the way for landing and take off of planes will full load and capacity. Moreover, some terminal buildings would also be constructed for better facilities.
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