Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 21 : Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Monday that the state government had begun awarding compensation for Kangra airport expansion, fulfilling the announcement of the first budget of the present government, a release said.
CM Sukhu said that the process of disbursement would start with this award of compensation amount to the land owners of village Jugehar of Shahpur area in Kangra district.
A total of Rs 32.50 crore would be disbursed to the land owners of Jugehar and over time Rs 3500 crore approximately would be provided to those land owners for compensation as well as rehabilitation and resettlement whose land was being acquired for the expansion of the Kangra airport, CM said.
CM Sukhu said that the land owners of Jugehar village have welcomed the move of the state government to award the compensation amount as it was their long pending demand.
He said that the expansion of Kangra Airport was a priority for the present state government to give a fillip to the tourism sector in the region.
CM Sukhu said that the airport expansion was expected to significantly boost the tourism industry and support the government's vision of establishing Kangra district as the Tourism Capital of the state.
He said that under the proposed expansion of Kangra airport, the runway length would be extended from 1376 meters to 3010 meters, enabling the operations of A320 type of aircraft.
The Chief Minister said that expansion of Kangra airport would open new doors of employment and self-employment opportunities thereby bringing economic prosperity for the people of the Kangra district.