International Airport in Haryana may turn into a reality

New Delhi, Aug 12 (UNI) The issue of setting up of an International Airport within the National Capital Region (NCR) falling in Haryana, raised by Mr Deepender Hooda, Member Parliament from Rohtak, is likely to turn into a reality.

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

Mr 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 4,347 acres in Jhajjar district.

The site is located in the villages of Mandothi, Jakhoda, Rohad, Saidpur and Tanda Heri in tehsil Bahadurgarh near the intersection of National Highway 10 and the Kundli Manesar Palwal (KMP) Expressway.

Mr Hooda had also urged the Prime Minister to guide the Ministry of Civil Aviation to expedite Haryana Government'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 kms of the existing airport in Delhi. The Government had recently cleared a revised policy on Greenfield Airports, allowing construction of a new airport within an aerial radius of 150 km of the existing one, subject to special permission from the Cabinet.

Mr Hooda 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, Delhi, but would also give a boost to the economy in the region. Also, it would fulfill a long standing demand of the people of Haryana.

Mr Hooda said he was grateful to the UPA Chairperson Ms Sonia Gandhi and Dr Singh for the Union Cabinet's decision to relax the condition for setting up of Greenfield Airports within the radius of 150 kms from the existing airport.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has said 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 of the IGI Airport in the Capital.

UNI BBS RSA HT1752