Modi arrives in Sikkim, set to inaugurate Pakyong greenfield airport today

Updated: Monday, September 24, 2018, 0:27 [IST]

Gangtok, Sep 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first airport in Sikkim at Paykong, which is situated at an altitude of 4500ft on Monday.

PM Modi arrived in Sikkim's capital Gangtok on Sunday evening for a two-day visit. The Prime Minister reached in Gantok in an MI-8 chopper from Bagdogra and was received by Governor Ganga Prasad, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and others at Libing Army Helipad.

During the two-day visit, Modi would inaugurate the Pakyong greenfield airport, around 33 km from Gangtok on Monday. He will also address the people at the St Xavier's School at Pakyong after inaugurating the airport.

PM arrives in Gangtok

PM to inaugurate airport

From the Army helipad, the prime minister's entourage travelled around 5km to the Raj Bhawan where he will stay for the night. A large number of people carrying colourful flags gathered at both sides of the road amidst rain to get a glimpse of the prime minister who also waived them back from his vehicle. Later at Raj Bhawan, the prime minister met BJP leaders and representatives of various social organisations.

Modi's is on a two-day visit

Sikkim's dream of having an airport will come true nine years after a foundation stone of the greenfield airport was laid, around 33 km from Gangtok, in 2009.

The airport is spread over 201 acres and is located on top of a hill about two km above Pakyong village at 4,500 feet above sea level, Sikkim Chief Secretary A K Srivastava said.

PM Modi

The airport was constructed by the Airports Authority of India and at present, the nearest airport from Sikkim is located 124 km away in Bagdogra in West Bengal, he told PTI.

The airport was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 605 crore and is an "engineering marvel" for its soil reinforcement and slope stabilisation techniques keeping in view the altitude it was built at, Srivastava said.

(Images credit - ANI/Twitter)