Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 10: As the Jammu Airport expansion project is getting delayed and its cost is increasing considerably due to repeated changes in the stance of the Army, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah is going to seek the intervention of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi so that hurdles in the project are removed and much-awaited work takes off.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that while reviewing the mega projects of Jammu in a high-level meeting yesterday, the Chief Minister came to know that Army was not extending required cooperation in the execution of Jammu Airport project and rather creating hurdles by changing its stance after regular intervals.
Chief Minister observed that despite expenditure of several crores of rupees by the State Government on shifting and creation of utilities, work on the project could not take place till date only due to the hurdles being created by the Army, sources said, adding the serious concern expressed by the Chief Minister in the meeting was genuine as all the issues relating to the expansion of Jammu Airport were required to be sorted out by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Civil Aviation and State Government’s role is only of facilitation.
Mr Omar was apprised by the officers that Army was demanding mutation of 1200 kanals of land at Beli Charana as per the agreement reached between Indian Army and princely State of Jammu and Kashmir in 1956. Under this agreement, the land under the occupation of ex-State forces (Army of princely State) was to be mutated in the favour of Indian Army.
“Although this issue was never raised by the Army till date but now all of a sudden it has started demanding implementation of the agreement in respect of 1200 kanals of land at Beli Charana, which was allegedly under the occupation of ex-State forces”, sources said. However, this issue was never raised by the Army during series of meetings at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and State level regarding expansion of Jammu Airport.
They disclosed that Chief Minister was apprised by the concerned officers that Army has categorically made it clear to the civil administration that they (Army) would not give work permission vis-à-vis expansion of Jammu Airport unless this land is mutated in their favour. “This demand of the Army cannot be conceded as major chunk of this 1200 kanals of land was allotted to refugees in 1947 and left over land given to several departments of State Government”, sources said.
“Chief Minister was also informed that even new demands vis-à-vis shifting and creation of utilities are being projected by the Army and recently they have demanded link road which would cost Rs 3 crore”, sources said while disclosing that due to addition of such demands the cost of the project is going up considerably.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Ministry of Defence has already given work permission for expansion of airport but it has made the same conditional by mentioning that work permission would be subject to the satisfaction of local Army officers. “Under the garb of this condition, the projection of demands by Army in lieu of land at airport has become unending process”, sources said.
According to the sources, Chief Minister and Ministers of Jammu found it appropriate to seek the intervention of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi so that Army starts extending required cooperation. “It is likely that Chief Minister would personally write to the Prime Minister in this regard so that the ambitious project overcomes the hurdles and work takes off”, they added.
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