International Airport in Haryana may become reality

Chandigarh, Aug 12 (UNI) The proposal for setting up of an International Airport within the National Capital Region (NCR) falling in Haryana mooted by Member of Parliament Deepender Hooda is likely to turn into a reality.

The Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Civil Aviation, which met in New Delhi yesterday, has suggested setting up of an International Airport at Jhajjar in Haryana as it felt that Delhi required more than one airport.

Mr Deepender Singh Hooda had, in December last, sought intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in setting up of a Greenfield Airport-cum-Cargo Air Complex within the NCR falling in Haryana.

Mr Hooda had pleaded that the new airport would cater to lower cost passenger services, air cargo, private operators, helicopter services and aircraft maintenance services at a site covering an area of 4347 acres in Jhajjar district.

This site is located in villages of Mandothi, Jakhoda, Rohad, Saidpur and Tanda Heri in tehsil Bahadurgarh near the intersection of National Highway No 10 and the Kundli Manesar Palwal (KMP) Expressway.

At the same time, Mr Deepender Singh Hooda had also urged the Prime Minister to guide the Ministry of Civil Aviation to expedite Haryana's proposal and conduct an immediate review of 150 km clause of the Airport infrastructure Policy of 1997.

The setting up of an airport at Jhajjar would be within 150 km of the existing airport at Delhi. The Government had recently cleared a revised policy on Greenfield Airports allowing construction of a new airport within 150 km of the existing one, subject to special permission from the cabinet.

Mr Deepender Singh Hooda has thanked the Parliamentary Consultative Committee for considering the issue of setting up of an international airport at Jhajjar.

He said the new airport would not only ease congestion at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, but would also give a boost to economy in the region.

Also, it would fulfill a long standing demand of the people of Haryana.

Mr Deepender Singh Hooda said that he was grateful to the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the Union Cabinet's decision to relax the condition for setting up of Greenfield Airports within the radius of 150 km from the existing airport.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said that a Group of Ministers has been asked to look into the legalities of setting up of a second airport near Delhi in view of the agreement signed with the developers with the IGI Airport in the Capital.

UNI MA JS1834