PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met the Union ministers CR Patil and K Ram Mohan Naidu in New Delhi on Tuesday and discussed various issues related to Uttarakhand.
In his meeting with the Union Aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu, the CM held discussion on development of the aviation sector, improvement in air connectivity and promoting tourism in Uttarakhand. The CM said that the Uttarakhand government has handed over 524.78 acre of land to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for increasing the length of the Pantnagar airport from existing 1,372 metres to 3,000 metres. He said that the AAI has prepared the master plan of the Pantnagar airport and requested the Union minister to direct the AAI to start work on the plan.
Dhami also requested the Union minister for the extension of Dehradun airport at Jolly Grant and extending the operation of the airport till midnight. He requested the minister to approve operation of regular flights from Naini- Saini airport (Pithoragarh) to Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. The CM said that Pithoragarh is a remote district of the State and improving air connectivity in the district will be beneficial for the local people. He requested Naidu that stalls of ‘House of Himalayas’ brand should open at Dehradun, Pithoragarh and Pantnagar airports. The CM also pitched for direct flights from Dehradun to Haldwani, Pantnagar and Nagpur.
In the meeting with the Union Jal Shakti minister CR Patil, the CM requested for the development and construction of eight hydropower projects to accelerate the social and economic development of Uttarakhand. These eight projects include seven projects of 647 MW capacity and one project of 114 MW.
He said that the State government is committed to maintaining purity, uninterrupted flow and environmental protection of Ganga and all other rivers and is moving forward towards the goal of sustainable development.
Dhami said that since the proposed 114 MW Sela Urthing hydropower project on Dhauliganga river in Pithoragarh district it is not a part of the Ganga basin and since there is no restriction on the projects on rivers other than Ganga and its tributaries, this project should be approved.
