Expansion of airport is necessary to make Kangra a tourism capital: Sukhu
Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has said that the government will ensure that the families displaced by the expansion of Kangra Airport get appropriate compensation. The CM said this in the House in response to the calling attention motion brought under Rule 62 by Kangra MLA Pawan Kajal.
The Chief Minister said that the state government wants to make Kangra the tourism capital and expansion of Kangra Airport is necessary for tourism. He said that currently small planes land here, with expansion bigger planes will land here. The expansion of the airport will not only benefit Kangra but will also benefit the people of Una, Bilaspur, and Hamirpur, and tourism, and IT will expand and employment will also increase.
The Chief Minister said that the government will give appropriate compensation to the families displaced from here. The irrigated land will be compensated accordingly.
CM said that for this, notification of the Economic and Social Impact Report was issued and the technical report for this has been sent to the Airport Authority for approval.
He said that the state government is working towards increasing air connectivity in Himachal. Under this, heliports will also be built in Palampur and Chamba.
Earlier, while presenting a calling attention motion, MLA Pawan Kajal raised the issue of families affected by the expansion of Kangra Airport. He said that due to big people and land mafia, the work of uprooting people is being done here. Due to the expansion of the airport, about 1500 families from eight panchayats are flying and about 700 businessmen in Gaggal Bazaar are being affected by it. He said that the fertile land of many villages is also being affected by this. And proper compensation is not being given for this. He said that at some places a compensation of Rs 1 crore per kanal is being given and for irrigated land, a compensation of Rs 10 lakh is being given. He said that this will not only affect families but will also cause pollution due to big ships. Pawan Kajal said that instead of uprooting people, a better place should be found elsewhere for this.
