BJP National Spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill, along with leaders of BJP Punjab, Sushil Sharma District President BJP Jalandhar, Ashok Sareen General Secretary BJP Jalandhar, Dimpy Sachdeva and Rajesh Kapoor, met the Union Civil Aviation Minister J.M.Scindia and raised the demand for resumption of flights from Adampur to Delhi and requested for starting a direct flight from Adampur to Banaras, the birthplace of Guru Ravidas Ji and holy place of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, keeping in view the faith and belief of all communities.
Shergill apprised the Union Civil Aviation Minister that looking at the potential and requirement of air connectivity to the Doaba region of Punjab along with adjoining border areas of Himachal Pradesh, on May 1, 2018, the Central Government had permitted low-cost airline Spice Jet to operate flights on the Delhi-Adampur sector under the UDAN scheme.
This flight successfully operated till March 2020. Seeing the positive response of the air traffic and catering to the demands of the sector, your good self approved the construction of a new terminal building by AAI with the intent to add Mumbai, Jaipur-Adampur sector”, he told the Union Minister.
BJP Spokesperson informed Scindia that despite immense traffic and demand, the Spice Jet has not operated any flight in this particular sector since November 2020 (barring the two days of operation in April 2021), which is causing grave inconvenience to the commuters, visitors and residents of the Doaba region and also, showing the effectiveness of UDAN scheme in a bad light.
In addition, in the absence of any flight, the new terminal construction project being undertaken by AAI will be an exercise in futile. Therefore, your kind intervention is requested to the extent of directing airlines to resume flights on the Delhi-Adampur-Delhi sector along with the additional proposed sectors at the earliest”, he requested the Minister.
Shergill also took up another significant issue of initiation of Adampur-Banaras-Adampur flights. He told the Minister that approximately 40 per cent of Punjab's population comprises the scheduled caste community, who are followers of Guru Ravidas Ji, while elaborating, “Adampur falls in the Doaba region of Punjab, which has the highest concentration of the SC community.
And more importantly, for the SC community of Punjab, Banaras holds great importance, as it is the birthplace of Guru Ravidas Ji. Initiation of direct flight connecting Adampur to Banaras will facilitate followers of Guru Ravi Dass Ji to pay obeisance at the holy birthplace.
Besides, it will also facilitate the devotees visiting the holy temple of Kashi Vishwanath.”Shergill also handed over a letter in this regard to Scindia. Shergill said that meeting with Scindia was fruitful and the latter has assured him to look into both the issues taken up by him.