Rajasansi, March 7
The construction work at the new terminal building of the Rajasansi International Airport has been stopped following instructions from the Ministry of Civil Aviation which wants certain modifications in the original design.
As per the instructions, the Ministry wants to construct the building on the pattern of the Srinagar Airport which is not possible at this juncture when more than 90 per cent of the construction has already been completed .
According to highly placed sources, the local airport authorities have sent a detailed report, along with the photographs of the terminal building to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and expressed helplessness to complete the building on the pattern of Srinagar Airport at an eleventh hour.
Incidentally, the design of the building had been prepared more than five years ago after consulting experts.
The project, which was supposed to be completed by November 2003, will be delayed further if any modification is made at this stage.
The local authorities have reportedly conveyed to the Civil Aviation Ministry that the passengers are facing lot of inconvenience due to the lack of facilities at the airport and any modification will aggravate their problems.
It is claimed that the present design of the terminal building, with domes atop, has been inspired by the Indian culture.
Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) president Prof Mohan Singh says that any delay in the completion of the terminal building will bring bad name to the airport, which already lacks most of the basic facilities.
The present building is not capable of handling the big rush of passengers. The departure and arrival lounges are inadequate too. The capacity of the hall is not sufficient to accommodate the rush of two flights.
In a communication to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, copy of which has been faxed to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the AVM says that there is a dire need to complete and commission the new building as per the original design.
Any modification, if necessary, can be appended later after it is commissioned.
