The Ministry of Civil Aviation is planning to set up 21 new airports across India, and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has taken up the new airports’ development as well as the expansion/upgradation of several existing airports at an estimated cost of Rs. 25,000 crores in the next four to five years.

The ministry has sanctioned a grant of Rs. 40 crore to begin construction of the domestic terminal at Ambala Sirport. The project is being taken up under the UDAN-3.0 scheme of the Central government to boost regional connectivity. The terminal will come up near Mama-Bhanja Peer on Jagadhri Road.

The Rajasthan Cabinet has approved the release of free land for a new greenfield airport in Kota, and MoCA has set up a committee to look into the height regulations for buildings near airports. In the next three to four years, the government plans to build over 200 airports, heliports, and waterdromes.

Investments worth Rs 91,000 crore will be made for developing existing and new airports in different parts of the country, as several measures are being taken to boost the civil aviation sector. Currently, there are 13 airports operated by private companies under the public-private partnership model.

Civil Engineering firm JMC Projects (India) Ltd has bagged new orders worth Rs. 1,849 crore. These projects include B&F projects in India of Rs. 857 crore and social housing projects in the Maldives of Rs. 992 crore. JMC Projects is a subsidiary of Kalpataru Power Transmission Ltd.

Nearly Rs. 25,000 crore will be spent on the growth and development of civil aviation in the next four to five years. The Airports Authority of India has taken up the programme for expansion and modification of existing terminals, new terminals, expansion or strengthening of existing runways, aprons, Airport Navigation Services, etc.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently held a review meeting with the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department and discussed various aspects regarding augmenting paddy procurement. Sarma also discussed incentivising local entrepreneurs to set up mills in districts with paddy yield.

The Himachal Pradesh government has set the ball rolling to develop Chanshal Valley in Rohru subdivision of Shimla district into a major tourist destination. The Rohru civil administration has submitted a detailed plan to the district administration, stressing the need to improve road connectivity to the area, around 14 km from Shimla town.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has set a target of making operational 100 unserved and underserved airports and starting at least 1,000 air routes under the UDAN scheme. Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said domestic flight services from Bilaspur town in Chhattisgarh will begin from March 1 under the regional connectivity scheme.