Calcutta: Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh heralded a “new dawn” for Jharkhand’s flagging economy on Sunday by inaugurating the Rs 138-crore integrated terminal at Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi that promises to increase the footfall of high-fliers.
It took four years for the state-of-the-art facility to see the light of day — courtesy hitches at both state and central levels since erstwhile civil aviation minister Praful Patel laid its foundation stone in 2009 — but “the wait has been worth it”.
“The new terminal will contribute to the overall economic development of the region. Fliers, both domestic and international, are on the rise across the country. In 2010-11, there were 142 million fliers. The figure rose to 162 million in 2011-12. So, having state-of-the-art terminals at tier II and III cities have become imperative,” the minister said.
He pointed out that his ministry, in association with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), had been working on massive modernisation and expansion projects across India. “Ranchi airport was a part of it. Though delayed, the wait has been worth it,” he said.
25/03/13 Telegraph
