Army land for Jammu Airport: Kashmir Governor Writes to Parrikar

Jammu, Feb 4 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra Wednesday sought intervention of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for vacation of land by the army at Jammu airport.

"The Governor N.N. Vohra has addressed the defence minister to seek his urgent intervention to ensure that there is no further delay in handing over the remaining defence land at Satwari airport to the state government/airport authority of India (AAI) for the extension of Jammu airport," a Raj Bhavan spokesman here said.

The spokesperson recalled that the army is required to hand over 15 acres of defence land at Satwari to the state government for its eventual transfer to the Airports Authority of India to facilitate the long pending extension of the existing runway at Jammu Airport from 6,700 feet to 8,000 feet.

The spokesman said the state government has already handed over equivalent area of forest land at Sunjwan (Jammu) to the army in lieu of the defence land at Satwari.

"The army have so far handed over only around three acres of defence land despite reminders," the spokesman confirmed.

In his letter to the defence minister, the governor has mentioned that any delay in the completion of the runway expansion may result in avoidable accidents.