Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today chaired a meeting here at Civil Secretariat to evaluate the functioning and working of the Civil Aviation Department. The meeting was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Additional Chief Secretary Dheeraj Gupta, Secretary Civil Aviation Aijaz Asad, representatives from the Airports Authority of India, and the Directors of Srinagar and Jammu Airports.
Key areas of discussion included the department’s aircraft fleet, revival plans, helicopter procurement, pilot training, and recruitment strategies. The Chief Minister also reviewed budgetary allocations and financial progress under the Capex and Revex budgets.
A significant part of the meeting focused on the subsidized helicopter service operated under the Ministry of Home Affairs since April 2017. It was noted that the service currently connects five approved routes three in the Jammu region and two in Kashmir.
The Chief Minister directed officials to expand this service to include point-to-point routes, particularly to far-flung areas, while ensuring optimum utilization and sufficient load for each flight.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reiterated his commitment to modernizing civil aviation infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir, with the aim of boosting connectivity which would indirectly contribute to the growth of J&K's economy.
The meeting also included an evaluation of projects under the RCS-UDAN scheme. Separate presentations were delivered by the Directors of Jammu and Srinagar Airports regarding the ongoing and proposed expansion plans for these critical facilities.
The Director of Jammu Airport presented an update on the New Civil Enclave Project informing the meeting that the total cost of the project was Rs 861.37 crore and approved cost being Rs 697.83 crore.
The meeting was apprised about the project’s completion period with physical progress of 16 % achieved ending November and financial progress as on 30.11.2024 recorded as 14%. It was revealed that the project will feature a centrally air-conditioned terminal building with a peak-hour passenger capacity of 2,000 and an annual capacity of 4.5 million passengers.
It would include essential infrastructure such as fire and water pump rooms, landscaping, water and sewage treatment plants, and parking for 250 vehicles. The Chief Minister emphasized the need to expedite land acquisition processes, particularly the vacating and transferring of land currently occupied by the Animal Husbandry Department to facilitate timely completion of the project by the Airports Authority of India.
The meeting concluded with discussions on cost escalations affecting the hangar and annexe building projects. The Chief Minister encouraged actionable suggestions to address these challenges and ensure efficient project delivery.