By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 2 May: The district administration has achieved a significant milestone in the long-stalled expansion of Jolly Grant Airport by successfully acquiring 87 hectares of land within a span of just three days. This long-pending issue has now seen considerable progress, taking the project a step closer to positioning Jolly Grant Airport on the international aviation map.
A high-level meeting regarding the expansion of the airport was convened in the Auditorium of the District Collectorate under the chairmanship of District Magistrate Savin Bansal. The meeting focused on accelerating land acquisition, disbursal of compensation, and the resettlement of affected families.
The DM directed the officials to expedite the process and ensure that Jolly Grant Airport is soon ready to handle international air traffic. Stressing the strategic importance of the airport for Uttarakhand’s tourism and connectivity, he said that officers must act with urgency and seriousness to complete the remaining formalities.
It was informed during the meeting that over 85 percent of the land acquisition work has already been completed. Of the total affected population, 43 families and 93 farmers possess small, unregistered plots, which have been classified as unidentified. The DM also instructed the SDM, Doiwala, to obtain records of all land registries conducted over the past three years to verify ownership claims.
On the demand by affected persons for market-rate compensation, Bansal ordered the formation of a committee comprising the SDM, Doiwala, and the Sub Registrar to assess the claims and submit a detailed report to him in this respect. He also addressed the demand for land-for-land compensation, asking officials to evaluate it in accordance with existing norms and submit their recommendations accordingly.
It was shared at the meeting that the verification of the affected families has already been completed, and compensation assessment is underway. The DM emphasised the need to complete the displacement and rehabilitation process at the earliest.
The expansion of Jolly Grant Airport, located near Dehradun, is crucial to improving domestic as well ensuring international air connectivity to Dehradun. Once completed, the project aims to enable the airport to handle international flights, larger aircraft, and increased passenger traffic. This would also result in a boost for tourism and economic activities in the region, providing a gateway to destinations such as Haridwar, Rishikesh, and the Char Dhams apart from Dehradun.
The meeting was attended amongst others by the Special Land Acquisition Officer Smriti Parmar, SP, City, Jaya Baluni, SDM, Doiwala, Aparna Dhoundiyal, SDM Apoorva Singh, and representatives from various departments concerned.
