Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Jan 24: With the allotment of 6000 kanals of more land to Indian Air Force recently, the work on largest airbase in Northern India at Kargil in Ladakh region will start in May-June this year.
According to high placed sources, the allocation of the land has been finalized and the papers were handed over to the Air Force authorities by the district administration Kargil and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Kargil recently.
However, due to heavy snowfall further headway has not been made in this regard as the land is covered by snow and soon after the snow melts this process for air base would be set into motion, sources said.
The decision on allotment of additional 6000 kanals of land to the Air Force authorities was taken in a meeting of district administration, LAHDC Kargil representatives and officers of Air Force at Kargil over a month back, sources said, adding that Air Force authorities had assured to start the work in May –June and complete the work in two years.
Sources said that with the construction of largest air base in Kargil, the problems of the people of the border district will be solved to a great extent and they would not have to visit to Leh for boarding a plane to Jammu and other parts of the country especially during the winter when road remained closed for complete six months.
“The construction of this largest airbase in Northern India at Kargil will ease the problems of the people to a great extent’’ said Qamar Ali Akhoon, former Minister and MLA Kargil.
He said that Defence Ministry has earmarked Rs 40 crore for the airport in the first phase and money will not be any hurdle in its construction. The passenger planes can also take off and land on this airport in future and this will provide a succor to the people of Kargil who were facing many hardships in visiting the other parts of State and country especially during winter due to road blockade. Besides the stranded passengers at Jammu and other parts of the country have not to wait for more days to visit their home towns after the construction of this air base, he added.
LAHDC chairman Kachoo Ali Mohammed Khan said that Air Force authorities have in principle agreed to engage all non technical men from Kargil and this will also open employment opportunities for the people of the area. He said the papers of land have already been given to Air Force authorities by the administration.
He said with the expansion of airport in Kargil at least one Boeing aircraft can land on the surface.
Admitting this, Deputy Commissioner Kargil, Fida Hussain said that the land is no problem and the same has been handed over to the Air Force. He however said that efforts were made to spare the cultivable land as the Kargil has very less cultivable land. Keeping the concern of farmers in view the barren land (state land) was allotted to the Air Force and the farmers have no objection to it, he added.
It may be recalled that the people of Kargil have earlier objected the allotment of cultivable land falling under Command area to Air Force but the issue was later sorted out by the district administration and LAHDC who after convening a meeting of the local people allayed their fares and agreed to allot the barren land to the Air Force.
The Kargil Airport already has 6000 kanals of land under its possession and with the allotment of 6000 kanals of land more the total land with it would be 12,000 kanals for construction of a spacious Air base.
The Air Force authorities had earlier sought allotment of 8000 kanals of more land to expand the airbase in Kargil but with the pasty of land in the area, the district administration and LAHDC did not agree to allot more than 6000 kanals of land.
With the expansion of air base in Ladakh its runway will also be raised from 6000 feet to 12,000 feet, sources said.
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