Agreement reached with locals on Naini-Saini airport

Decks have been cleared for the expansion of the Naini-Saini airport in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand after the government reached an agreement with the agitated locals.

“We have reached an agreement under which jobs at the class-IV level will be given to locals in the airport,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant after ending the month-long stalemate.

Ever since Chief Minister R P Nishank held “bhoomi pujan” for the airport early last month, its modernisation and expansion works hit a roadblock following the agitation. An investment of Rs 55 crore is proposed in the modernisation and expansion work of the airport in the picturesque Pithoragarh for promoting tourism.

The locals were demanding jobs in the government services as well as strengthening of new facilities like schools near the airport where the government had acquired a big chunk of land for the expansion of the airport.

Meanwhile, official sources here said the government would shortly release the first installment of Rs 5 crore for the project for which the deadline for completion is now 2011. The government had already appointed the Uttarakhand State infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (USIDCL) as the nodal agency for the expansion work. The government has so far spent Rs 20 crore for acquiring 15 hectare of additional land for the expansion purpose. A total of six villages have been affected by the land acquisition process.

Under the modernisation plan, the airport is being upgraded to facilitate the landing of ATR 72 aircraft. The runway is expected to be 1,600 metre ong and 30 metre wide. Four hangers for the parking of aircraft are also being proposed at the airport.