Inform about compliances for Kangra airport expansion, HC tells Himachal

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh high court on Monday granted two-week time to the state govt to file a fresh status report pertaining to the necessary statutory compliances required for the expansion of the Kangra airport at Gaggal.During the resumed hearing of a petition moved by the Gaggal Airport Expansion Affected Social Welfare Committee, the bench headed by Justice Sandeep Sharma observed that the state govt has already initiated the process for acquisition of land and in some cases award has also been passed by the land acquisition collector. But the court noticed that the supplementary affidavit filed by the special secretary of the tourism and civil aviation department revealed that the necessary permission pertaining to the diversion of forest land is yet to be accorded by the central govt. The bench also noticed that a proposal for expansion of Kangra airport is pending with the project screening committee. Additionally, the techno-economic feasibility report (TEFR), a prerequisite task for environment-related services, is yet to be received and it is only after receipt of this report that the Centre can proceed to grant permission, if any, for forest clearance. Justice Sharma furthermore observed that the obstacle limitation surface survey, also a prerequisite condition for construction or development of any airport, is pending consideration before the competent authority.Therefore, the court cleared that there appears to be no justification for it to consider prayer made by the additional advocate general of the state to withdraw his earlier statement made on Dec 7 last year wherein he had categorically stated that the state govt will not dispossess anybody from the land covered under notification issued under section 11(1) of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

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