Guv reviews expansion of Jammu, Srinagar Airports

Top officials brief Vohra

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 24: Chairing a high-level meeting of civil, police and security force officers at the Civil Secretariat here today, Governor N N Vohra reviewed the status of night landing operations at Srinagar Airport and extension of runway at Jammu Airport.
Advisors to the Governor K Vijay Kumar, B B Vyas, Chief Secretary Sh. BVR Subrahmanyam, concerned Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Deputy Commissioner Budgam and other concerned senior officers from the Administration, Air Force, Airports Authority of India and security establishment participated in the meeting.
Regarding the starting of night landing operations at Srinagar Airport, the Governor was informed that the IAF had provided the required permissions and the work of installation of Runway lights by the Airport Authority of India was at an advanced stage of completion.
Vohra directed V K Singh, Special DGP, to ensure that the work to construct accommodation for the security force personnel to be deployed for maintaining the security of the Airport and surrounding areas, in view of the enhanced timing of the operations, should be completed within 60 days, without fail.
He also instructed the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, to ensure that the work of lighting, provision of toilets and other facilities was taken up immediately and completed by August 5.
IG, CRPF Ravideep Sahi  undertook to provide temporary accommodation at the RTC Campus at Humhama for the troops to be deployed for Airport security duty. Director Airport, Srinagar, was directed to take immediate steps for provision of accommodation to house the additional security forces personnel required to provide security during the entire period of the extended flying operations.
The Governor was informed that a number of steps have been taken to improve the comfort and security of the passengers visiting the Airport, which included provision of additional X-Ray scanning machines, toilets and other facilities. Governor directed Commissioner Civil Aviation to ensure that a feasibility study of the proposed Flyover from Humhama Chowk to Airport is got completed within a week, to ease the existing vehicular congestion as well as to ensure dislocating the existing market near the Airport entrance.
The progress of runway extension at Jammu Airport was reviewed through video-conferencing with Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, and all concerned civil, police, Air Force, Army, Airport Authority and other concerned officers.
The Governor expressed satisfaction on being informed by Sanjeev Verma, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu that all hindrances obstructing the start of work had been fully resolved and the work of runway extension and boundary wall construction is already underway. The Divisional Commissioner informed that the work on the boundary wall shall be reduced from 15 to 9 months and that on the runway from 24 to about 13 months.
Regarding the construction of the new Terminal at Jammu Airport, the Governor directed Divisional Commissioner to ensure urgent hand-over of the required land to the Airport Authority of India. Asgar Samoon, Principal Secretary Animal Husbandry undertook to urgently shift the existing Animal Husbandry and Poultry units to their new locations.
Regarding the establishment of a Green Field Airport for catering to future Civil Aviation requirements of the State, the Governor directed Commissioner/ Secretary Civil Aviation to identify several possible sites which should be inspected by a multi-disciplinary expert team to determine suitability.
The Governor directed Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary Planning and Civil Aviation to send him monthly progress reports on all the projects which had been reviewed.