Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 29: The High Court has been informed today that the work on installation of Simple Approach Lighting System (SALS) at Srinagar International Airport has been allotted to a company and the same will be completed with six months.
This was informed by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to the Court through its counsel and in this regard an allotment order has been placed before the Division Bench of Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey.
After the tendering process for the project allotment order has been issued on January 27 and as per the statement of counsel of AAI the work be completed by July 27 this year. Court had directed the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to proceed with the execution of works on International Airport Srinagar and do not wait for Court orders so that visibility is improved for smooth air service.
It is Indian Air Force who in response to the status report of AAI had stated that the AAI has to undertake the execution of said work and IAF is confined only to the provisions of defense land for such proposed works.
The IAF had stated that it has not refused to undertake the 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. Court after these submission directed AAI counsel to execute the work without any delay or the Director of AAI would face consequences.
Hearing suo-moto cognizance initiated by Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and thereafter treated as PIL 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 with 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.
Pertinently by setting up the SLAS the visibility be reduced from 1300 meters to 1000 meters. The simple light approach system (SLAS) will be set up on 300 meters of land and further 600 meters of land shall be provided after having feasibility assessment by AAI.
The 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.
Meanwhile, the IAF counsel has been directed to submit his status report with regard to establishing of CAT-II/CAT-III ILS at the airport.
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