Nitin Jain Tribune News Service Ludhiana July 10 Finally the Union Government has accorded in-principle administrative approval to the construction of a new terminal building for the upcoming international airport at Halwara in Ludhiana the government has confirmed. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has approved Rs 4250.41 lakh for the project work the tender of which is in advanced stage of finalisation at the level of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma told The Tribune here on Saturday. While the tenders for the construction of internal roads parking taxiways and apron have been floated with the final date of submission of bids fixed as July 14 the construction of link road and boundary wall has been completed. In a bid to give a boost to the industrial and economic activity in the state the Punjab Government and the AAI are jointly setting up a new international civil terminal at the Air Force Station in Halwara which is one of the oldest frontline airbases of the Indian Air Force (IAF) close to Ludhiana. The development assumes significance as Ludhiana is Punjabs largest industrial and business city with a population of nearly 3.5 million which is presently serviced by a small airport at Sahnewal. Ludhiana also has the advantage of being at the geographical centre of Punjab. Sharing project details the ADC (General) Rahul Chaba said the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) has acquired land measuring 161.28 acres — 135.54 acres for airport and 25.74 acres for future development. While the work on the construction of 3-metrer-high with 660-mm thick punch tape concertina and barbed wire fencing has been completed by the PWD (B&R) at Rs 301.16 lakh provided by GLADA the painting work will be completed by July 20. from page 1 Similarly the widening and strengthening of the existing 5.1-km link road from Aitiana village to international airport from existing 10-ft to 18-ft width has been completed by the Punjab Mandi Board at Rs 8.17 crore. The work also included construction of two bridges each of 8-metre span on the Halwara drain. The dressing of the berms alongside the road will be completed within a week following which plantation on the roadsides will be done from July 20 to 31. “Before the construction of the regular terminal an interim building will come up to begin the airport operations here” disclosed the DC. The estimate for the work was submitted to the AAI and a detailed presentation was given to the AAI senior functionaries. The ADC said after receiving some observations from the AAI along with the pavement design the same were complied with and a reframed estimate was submitted to the Technical Adviser to the Punjab Government who also gave his comments/ observations. The final estimate amounting to Rs4587.7 lakh was submitted to the AAI and Principal Secretary Civil Aviation Punjab for approval. The AGM (Civil) AAI Shekhar Kumar said the estimate has been further submitted to the Board of Directors of AAI for approval.

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