Delhi indecisive on naming new Srinagar Airport after Sheikhul Alam (RA)

Srinagar: Renaming the newly constructed international airport in Srinagar after the fourteenth century Kashmiri Sufi saint, Sheikhul Alam (RA), is becoming more of a row between Srinagar and New Delhi with the later still indecisive about the issue.
Director Srinagar Airport Authority, Rakesh Kalra told Rising Kashmir over phone that they have not received any communiqué from Airport Authority of India (AAI) about its name.
“The decision regarding the name will be finalized by the union cabinet and we will be accordingly intimidated by the AAI,” Kalra said.
He said that airport will be inaugurated on February 14 and the first international flight will take off for Dubai at 2.30 pm. “A flight will land from Dubai in the evening,” he said.
The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will inaugurate the new airport while Union Water Resources Minister Saif-ud-Din Soz and other ministers of NC-Congress coalition government will also be present on the occasion.
Highly placed sources told Rising Kashmir that some top officials in New Delhi were strongly opposing the christening of the Srinagar airport after Kashmiri Sufi saint, Sheikh-ul-Alam (RA). “There is a difference of opinion within the Government of India as far the name of Srinagar airport is concerned. The AAI is also indecisive about the new name of Srinagar airport. These are the main reasons which have caused delay in giving a name to the airport,” sources said.
They said a high level meeting was convened in New Delhi on Saturday which was attended by Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patil, Defence Minister A K Antony and other senior officials of the two ministries. “However, the meeting remained inconclusive and another meeting will be convened to before February 14 to arrive at a consensus on the name of the airport,” sources said.
Sources said the defence minister favoured that Instrument Landing System (ILS) should be put in place at Srinagar airport so that flights could take off and land even during the dark.
07/02/09 Abid Bashir/Rising Kashmir

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Categories: Airports Feb 2009, New Feb 2009