Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Manav Kedia on Monday urged Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu to build an airport and start air services from Jharkhand’s industrial hub Jamshedpur.
Currently, turboprop aircraft such as HAL DO-228 can be operated to improve daily air connectivity from Jamshedpur to Kolkata and other cities till a permanent airport is constructed. (ht file image)In a letter to Chief Minister Naidu Hemant Soren And Tata Steel CEO and MD TV Narendran, Kedia said the historically and economically important city, which is over 100 years old, still lacks a commercial airport.
“Jamshedpur is considered the financial and industrial capital of Jharkhand but is deprived of air connectivity, forcing citizens, industrialists, business community, government officials and students to go to Ranchi or Kolkata to catch flights,” the SCCI president said, adding that this is not only unlucky, but against the idea of developed India and ease of doing business.
Referring to the stalled construction of Dhalbhumgarh Airport in Ghatshila subdivision East Singhbhum District, Kedia noted that former state civil aviation minister Jayant Sinha and former chief minister Raghubar Das laid the foundation stone of the airport in 2019 following an MoU between the Airports Authority of India and the state government.
However, the project was stalled for the past six years due to forest and environmental objections, he said.
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Suggesting a practical precaution to tackle the problem, Kedia said regional air services could be started immediately from the Tata Steel-owned Sonari Airport with minor renovations.
Currently, turboprop aircraft such as the HAL DO-228 can be operated to improve daily air connectivity Jamshedpur Kolkata and other cities until a permanent airport is built, he demanded.
