Amritsar-Dharamshala airlink soon: MP Kishan Kapoor

Dharamshala: BJP MP Kishan Kapoor said that necessary guidelines have been given to increase the number of flights to the Dharamshala Airport and for this the Dharamshala Airport Authority has been asked to prepare the necessary plan, which will also make the flight schedule for Amritsar from Dharamshala. This link has been planned, so that tourists from Amritsar International Airport of Punjab can directly and easily approach Himachal.

The busiest in the state, Gaggal airport receives four flights a day during peak season that ply between Delhi and Dharamshala and one between Chandigarh and Dharamshala.

BJP MP Kishan Kapoor was briefing the media after chairing the meeting of the Airport Advisory Committee at Dharamshala on Monday.

Kapoor said, “A tourism information centre will be opened at Dharamshala Airport , so that necessary information about tourism could be provided  to tourists on  their arrival in Himachal.  Effective steps are being taken to provide better facilities to the passengers at Dharamshala Airport. Besides the tourism information centre, ATM machines will also be installed in the airport premises and necessary guidelines have also been given to open counters for money transfers so that tourists coming from abroad can get the facility of currency change.”

He said that helicopter taxi service has also been started from Shimla to Dharamshala, in this regard the tourism department has been asked to ensure necessary publicity about the timetable of heli-taxi service so that more people can avail the benefit of this service.

BJP Member of Parliament from Kangra constituency, Kishan Kapoor said that high trees will  be marked around the airport so that appropriate steps can be taken to cut them. He said that people have also been asked to interact with the concerned SDM for cutting down trees of private land around the airport. He said that special care will also be taken for cleanliness in the airport and guidelines have been given to take appropriate steps for waste management also. On this occasion, it was also decided to establish necessary dialogues for expediting the airport authority's survey team regarding the expansion of the airport, as well as to take appropriate steps to install bus stops and speed breakers etc. near the Airport.

The government had planned to acquire about 40 hectare land for the expansion of the Gaggal airport. The revenue officials had estimated that an amount of about Rs 500 crores might be required to acquire 40-hectare land for the expansion.

According to the survey conducted by the administration, it was proposed to expand the airport to 3,010 metres based on the report of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). In such a situation, some areas up to old Matour village may come under the area of expansion. The existing airstrip at Dharamshala Airport is 1370m long.

Land will be acquired on both sides of the airport -- towards the Shahpur and Kangra on the Pathankot-Mandi highway. Kangra Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Prajapati said the AAI has written for the airport expansion. He said larger planes will land here after the airport expansion, and airfare will be reduced considerably for Dharamshala airport.

The Dharamshala airport, officially known as Gaggal Airport, is located in Gaggal, 12 km from Dharamshala. On this occasion, MLA Vishal Naihari also gave his suggestions for providing facilities in the airport.