Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 19: The High Court today directed the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to install the Simple Approach Lighting System (SALS) at Srinagar International Airport without any delay and warned the Director of consequences.
“It is Airport Authority of India which is required to set up the SALS at Srinagar International Airport within a time frame so that visibility is improved for smooth air service”.
Indian Air Force, in response to the status report filed by the AAI, stated that it is the AAI which has to undertake execution of the work and IAF is confined only to the provisions of defence land for such proposed works.
“AAI shall proceed with the execution of the required works, they shall not wait for any further direction for doing so”, the Division Bench of Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey directed after perusal of status report of the IAF.
“The execution of deposit works, the user in present case AAI is required to forward the proposal directly to MES Engineering in Chief Branch, Kashmir House Rajaji Marg, New Delhi which is the apex body of MES organization. In the execution of such work services, the role of IAF is confined only to the provisions of defence land for such proposed works”, the AAI submitted.
It further stated that the installation of aviation infrastructure was required to be handled by specialized firms, which can monitor the work to meet the special requirements of such infrastructure
Court has been informed that recently IAF has directly contracted with M/S TATA (Strategic Electronic Division) for undertaking such special projects like MAFI at all IAF basis. “The installation of SALS is a specialized work which only few firms undertake such as TATA SED, AMA etc”, the IAF report said.
IAF stated that it has not refused to undertake the said work through MES. However, MES had expressed their inability to undertake the SALS installation work as they do not have expertise to handle such specialized project.
“It being so, copy of the reply be furnished to Bhan for AAI to which he wants to file response. Other counsel, if they so choose shall also file their respective responses”, Court said and observed to AAI counsel to execute the work without any delay or the Director of AAI would face consequences.
“On considering the reports, a situation has been created which gives rise to the impression that there is no solution to the problem insight. Keeping in view the status report as filed by respondent No.2 which is suggestive of the fact that the MES had to take all necessary measures for resolving the problem by executing the work”, Division Bench had said and granted four days time to all the concerned for settling the issue so that affective directions in this regard be passed to the authorities.
Hearing suo-moto cognizance initiated by Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and thereafter treated as public interest by the then Chief Justice of the State in view of public interest involved in the matter, the Court had directed the AAI to launch the SALS within a time frame as per the affidavit of AAI.
The suo-moto cognizance was taken when Court found that the Airport Authority of India has, prima facie, failed to take notice of hardships and difficulties being regularly faced by the people, who travel to and fro Kashmir by air.
SALS is being installed for runway-31 as 300 meter land which is available within airport boundary wall from threshold and runway-31 has to be relocated as per court directions as its area has been reduced.
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