Kangra: Rehab plan for Gaggal airport expansion project in the works

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, November 15

The Kangra district administration is formulating a relief and rehabilitation plan for people, who are likely to be displaced due to the expansion of the Gaggal airport. Highly placed sources told The Tribune that more than 2,500 families would be uprooted due to the airport expansion project.

According to the sources, under the relief and rehabilitation plan, a double benefit has been proposed for people, who are likely to be displaced. The benefits proposed are compensation for the land acquired for the project and a provision of alternative land and houses in satellite townships to be developed in the vicinity of the airport area.

Runway strip to be expanded to 3,110 m

• The Central Finance Commission had sanctioned Rs 400 crore for the expansion of the Gaggal airport during the stint of the previous BJP government
• In the Budget passed in the Assembly, the state government has made a provision of Rs 2,000 crore for the airport project
• The Gaggal airport is proposed to be expanded in two phases
• The Airports Authority of India has decided to expand the Gaggal airport strip from 1,372 metres to 1,900 metres in the first phase
• In the second phase, the strip length is proposed to be increased from 1,900 metres to 3,110 metres

“Government land has been identified in the vicinity of the Gaggal airport for satellite townships, which will be developed as per the availability of land,” said a senior officer.

The sources said that land and houses in satellite townships would be provided to the displaced people as per the rules and regulations of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. This means a family would be allotted a maximum of three biswas in a satellite township, besides a financial grant of Rs 1.5 lakh for the construction of house under the scheme.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal said that the relief and rehabilitation plan was being formulated and a report would be submitted to the government soon.

The state government had initiated the process for the expansion of the Gaggal airport by issuing a notification under Section 11 of the Land Acquisition Act in July this year. After the notification was issued, the government barred the sale and purchase of land identified for the airport project.

The government has notified the acquisition of 105 acres (about 65 acres of private land and 40 acres of government land) for the airport expansion. The private land, as per the notification, would be acquired in Bagh, Balla, Dukhiyari Khas, Bhedi, Gaggal Khas, Chikli Icchi, Muggardadh, Sohara, Sannor, Rachyal, Jugehar, Badol and Kiyori villages.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has been actively pursuing the project since the Congress formed government in the state. In the Budget passed in the Assembly, the government has made a provision of Rs 2,000 crore for it. Most of the budgeted amount is likely to be utilised in providing compensation to people, who are likely to be displaced after their land is acquired for the project.

Locals, whose land is likely to be acquired, have been opposing the project. However, an expert committee formed by the state government for assessing the social impact of the project had in its report stated that its benefits overweighed the expected social impact.