Randhawa, Ganshyam tour airport area, listen grievances

Senior BJP leader and ex MLC, Ch Vikram Randhawa listening problems of people in airport area on Wednesday.
Senior BJP leader and ex MLC, Ch Vikram Randhawa listening problems of people in airport area on Wednesday.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 31: Former Member Legislative Council (MLC), Ch. Vikram Randhawa today along with Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Jammu, Ganshyam Singh visited a locality near Jammu Airport to listen the genuine grievances of the people.
As per the reports the Airport Authority of India since 2002 is pressurizing these people to vacate their locality as the same land is required for further expansion of the Jammu Airport. The reports further said that the land measuring 17 kanals in Rani Bagh area houses 32 families all refugees who migrated during 1947.
The former MLC apprised the ADC Jammu that the land is away from the Jammu Airport and if not acquired is not creating any hurdle in expansion of Jammu Airport. Randhawa further apprised the ADC Jammu that the sole purpose of visiting this area is to take physical assessment that whether it is indeed an obstacle in expansion of Jammu Airport.
The aggrieved families apprised the former MLC and ADC Jammu that there are many banquet halls and shopping malls which are creating hurdle in the expansion of the Jammu Airport but the Airport Authority is not pressurizing them for eviction. They further alleged that as they are children of lesser God so they are being tortured and harassed by selective officers of the Airport Authority.
The locals also appealed the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to intervene as he always claims to help the poor and downtrodden. The locals said that they were displaced in 1947 and hardly have constructed these houses but if displaced from here they won’t be able to construct new houses anywhere as the compensation being paid is too meager.
They further urged upon the administration that if the Airport Authority intends to occupy this chunk of land then the compensation as per the present rates must be paid to them so that they may be able to settle down themselves.
The former MLC and ADC Jammu gave a patient hearing to all the demands of the local residents and took on spot stock of the area and assured them that their demands would be put forth before the higher authorities for redressal.