U’khand says no proposal for Haridwar airport days after minister’s announcement

Uttarakhand tourism minister Satpal Maharaj had said the airport would be developed by 2030 and that a committee under the district magistrate would be formed to look for the land for the purpose

Updated on: Jun 2, 2021, 18:22:05 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi

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The Uttarakhand government on Wednesday said there was no proposal to build an international airport in Haridwar days after state tourism minister Satpal Maharaj made an announcement in this regard on May 31.

Uttarakhand tourism minister Satpal Maharaj (HT Photo)

Maharaj, who is also the minister in charge for Haridwar, had said the airport would be developed by 2030 and that a committee under the district magistrate would be formed to look for the land for the purpose. He had claimed the airport will be to handle big aircraft including Boeing 777.

Subodh Uniyal, the state government spokesman and agriculture minister, said no such proposal has come to the government. “...if any such proposal is received by the government, then it would be discussed in the Cabinet.”

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Maharaj, who on May 31 said authorities were looking for land spread over 5 km for the proposed airport, was immediately unavailable for comments on Wednesday.

Congress leader Suryakant Dhasmana said the denial shows there is no coordination among ministers. “A senior minister makes an announcement of a new international airport, but the government is oblivious about it. What can be more ridiculous than this?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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