ITANAGAR, Dec 31 � Arunachal Pradesh has urged the Centre to develop airports and other ancillaries in the State.
The matter was raised by the Arunachal Civil Aviation Minister Thangwang Wangham in a meeting for consultation of the Draft Civil Aviation Policy, convened by the Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju in New Delhi yesterday.
Wangham proposed the Union Ministry to include a provision for construction of new airports of �short take-off and landing� type in the prospective locations of the State, an official communique said here today.
He further said that the new policy should provide for a regional cargo hub in the Northeastern region which would widen the scope of various region-specific trade and commerce activities.
�Arunachal with its potential in sectors such as food processing, floriculture and agriculture will stand to benefit considerably from such a hub. I propose establishment of a regional cargo hub, preferably in Guwahati which is the hub and gateway to all the Northeastern States,� he said.
He also requested the Ministry to rationalise the cost of air turbine fuel. Stating that there is a need to include a provision of employing people from the region in the civil aviation sector, Wangham said the policy should give adequate weightage to capacity building, training and assistance for manpower at all levels.
�This will in the long term facilitate the manning of airports, remote helipads and Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) by technically trained professional people at the local level,� he said.
Further, for a hilly State like Arunachal, air connectivity was also required for specific needs of the Army, paramilitary forces and construction agencies like BRO, he said. While pleading for development of helicopter services, the Minister said that the service would help timely disposal of relief and aid in the wake of natural calamities, medical relief and periodic vaccination in a timely manner besides supply of ration and essential items.
A provision for introducing Air Ambulance Services might also be considered for this purpose, he said.
Wangham also demanded inclusion of the Greenfield Airport at Itanagar in the Union Budget to increase frequency of commercial flights to Leelabari airport in Assam�s North Lakhimpur district. � PTI
