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NCP bats for special defence lounge at Pune airport
The email written to the civil aviation ministry stated that the NCP supports the demand made by civil aviation analyst, Dhairyashil Vandekar, for an exclusive lounge for our serving defence personnel at the civil terminal of Lohegaon airport
A Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) delegation on Wednesday met Pune airport director, Santosh Dhoke, and submitted a memorandum requesting that a dedicated waiting lounge for defence personnel be constructed at the airport.
Dhoke confirmed the news and said, “I have received a memorandum from the NCP regarding public demand for an exclusive waiting lounge for our defence personnel at Pune airport. At the moment, I will not like to comment on it.”
Pradeep Deshmukh, spokesperson, NCP, said, “Our party delegation met the airport director and requested him for a waiting lounge for defence personnel in the new terminal building. Along with a written email to Jyotiraditya Scindia, minister of civil aviation, we have also told our senior leader, Ajit Pawar, to look into this issue and he will speak on this matter with our NCP MLAs who will take it forward with the civil aviation ministry.”
The email written to the civil aviation ministry stated that the NCP supports the demand made by civil aviation analyst, Dhairyashil Vandekar, for an exclusive lounge for our serving defence personnel at the civil terminal of Lohegaon airport. As there are several vital defence establishments in Pune, the city’s airport witnesses significant movement of defence personnel. The NCP is voicing the sentiments of the people of Pune and as a minimum mark of respect and honour for our forces, the least that we, as a civil community, can do, is to offer them this facility.
The Pune airport terminal is being expanded at a cost of more than Rs400 crore (which is ultimately public money) and it is expected that the civil aviation ministry, government of India and Airport Authority of India will respect the sentiments of the people of Pune.
Vandekar said, “I have been pushing for this matter since the last four years but I have always received a half-hearted response from various airport directors. Now as the people are supporting it, I hope we will get an exclusive lounge in the new terminal building. At least in this way, we can do our bit for defence personnel who come to the airport from nearby towns by providing them a comfortable waiting place at the airport.”
