Minister expresses displeasure over construction of new terminal building at Chakeri airport

Done/ALVI
Times News Network
Kanpur: Minister for civil aviation, UP, Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi, visited the under-construction new terminal building of Chakeri airport on Wednesday and expressed his displeasure over slow pace of working.
He said carelessness would not be tolerated. The government would not only lodge FIRs against the officials of UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam, the construction agency but even send them to jail, he warned. The agency could even be blacklisted if it failed to complete the job in the stipulated time, he said, and added the construction work of the civil enclave of Chakeri airport must be completed by December 31.
During the minister’s visit to the Chakeri airport on November 1, the people’s representatives and passengers had complained to him about delay in construction of the civil enclave.
Witnessing an increase in the number of passengers at the airport and after receiving the inquiry report, he came to know that the construction agency was not serious in constructing the building in time.
In view of the complaints, the aviation minister on Wednesday visited Kanpur and chaired the review meeting which was attended among others by regional executive director Airport Authority of India DK Kamra, district magistrate Kanpur Nagar, Vishak G Iyer, officer of UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam Satyaveer, additional director, civil aviation department Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, nodal officer Moti Rai and director, Chakeri airport BK Jha.
The officials informed the minister that construction work of the new civil enclave had started in October 2019, and only 60 percent work could be completed in the last two years. At this, the minister got furious and said that by December 2021 the construction of the new terminal must be completed by December this year. Any carelessness would not be tolerated, he warned.
He specifically directed the officials to start within 15 days the construction work of a 2.7 km-long four laned approach which would connect the new terminal.
At present only one flight can be operated from the Chakri airport because it has just one apron where aircrafts are parked.
The new civil enclave, which will have three aprons, can bear the load of around 500 persons at a time and can also handle three flights at a time.