The plan of construction of Jammu International Airport in between village Deon in tehsil Bari Brahmana to village Sumb in tehsil Samba has been put off by the government.
To an utter shock for the people, the site which was selected for the airport is planned to be given to Industries and Commerce Department for constructing Industrial Estate in the area.
As per reports, the project has been put off due to some technical reasons by the authorities and now the government is planning to establish Industrial Estate at the site. The site was perfectly suitable for the airport since it touched four districts i.e Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Udhampur.
The decision has come up as a slap on the faces of people of Jammu since the airport been constructed at the proposed site, would have changed the socio economic condition of the people of the area as well as the two famous pilgrimage centres of Jammu, Purmandal and Utterbehni would have come on national map.
“Such an important land which was chosen for the airport which can touch the four districts of the region is very difficult to find. This was a huge piece of land anywhere to be found in region and this decision has hit the interest of people” said a local.
The proposed area of air port was 23.5 sq kms (46455 kanals) with 21.5 km perimeter. The proposed site for airport now to be converted into industrial complex is at a distance of 25 kms from Bari Brahmana and 21 kms from Sidhra Jammu. Out of 46455 kanals of total land 40560 kanals is State land while 5895 kanals private land approximately.
Proposed Airport if allowed to be established at the site in Samba district would create employment opportunities which will help in raising the economic status of the local population.
When the detailed report about the features of the proposed site was submitted to the government district administration in its report had also mentioned that the project may generate employment opportunities to the locals.
A senior official told that land has not been acquired yet and nothing has been yet finalized. He further said that the selection of the land for airport is under the domain of the UT Government who can decide better.