Civil enclave to come up in Jammu: Jyotiraditya Scindia

Srinagar, October 10

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation, on Monday said a civil enclave costing Rs 861 crore would be built in Jammu. Srinagar’s present terminal would be expanded three times from 20,000 square metres to 60,000 square metres at the cost of Rs 1,500 crore, he said.

The decrease in VAT on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) from 26.5 per cent to 1 per cent by the J&K government has set new dawn for air connectivity in the Union Territory with a 360 per cent increase in refuelling, thus increasing the air connectivity to Jammu and Kashmir, Scindia said while inaugurating the 4th Heli-India Summit 2022 themed ‘helicopters for last mile connectivity’ at Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre, Srinagar.

From 1947 to 2014, he said the country had only 74 airports but now the number had risen to 141, with 67 added in the last seven years. The government is committed to increasing the number to above 200 in the next few years, he said.

He said helicopters had multifarious roles, providing urban connectivity which is no more an elitist prerogative in India but is based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision ‘Sab Ude, Sab Jude’.

According to Scindia, during the 3rd Heli-India Summit at Dehradun, the eight sankalps (promises), like providing Heli-Sewa Portal, Heli-Disha, Helicopter Accelerator Cell, doing away with the landing and parking charges for helicopter service, creation of specific helicopter corridors, helipads to be given priority while framing detailed project report for all new highways, upgradation of Juhu airbase to accommodate night operations etc., were taken to their logical end.