AGRA: The state government has sanctioned Rs 64.94 crore for building a civil terminal for Agra airport , said Agra divisional commissioner K Rammohan Rao on Monday.According to the official, the work in this regard will start from the first week of July.For the proposed civil terminal 23.32 hectare land was to be acquired. So far, around 14.07 hectare has been acquired and a sum of Rs 84.71 crore has already been spent for this purpose. The administration has sought Rs 64.94 crore more to acquire the remaining land and it has been sanctioned now, said Rao."It is a big achievement for the city. With the terminal in place, we will be able to provide better facilities to tourists coming here," the senior official added.Even as there has been an overall surge in air traffic movement across the country with the number of passengers opting for flights rising over the years, a reverse trend has been witnessed in Agra, which sees the arrival of over one crore tourists from across the globe every year. According to Airports Authority of India data, the number of flights landing in Agra has gone down by half, while the number of air passengers by one-third over the last 17 years.At present, the airport terminal is located within the premises of the Air Force building. This not only makes the operation of flights difficult but also imposes restrictions on free movement of passengers. The state government has announced to build a civil enclave across 23 hectare in Dhanauli village in 2012.

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