Govt mulls using highways in far-flung areas for flight landing

June 17, 2016

Mumbai, Jun 17: Union Road Minister Nitin Gadkari today said the government was working on a scheme under which highways in far-flung areas can be used for aircraft landings and take-offs, and airports can be made where none exist.flight

"Along with Defence Ministry, we are thinking on a proposal. We are making our national highways of cement and concrete. We can use them as airports and are identifying sites. The vehicular traffic will be stopped when an aircraft will be landing and once it leaves, the vehicle traffic will resume," Gadkari said at an event by Forum for Integrated National Security (FINS) here.

He clarified that the plan was to use the highway network to handle both civilian and military aircraft movement.

The discussions are being held with the Defence Ministry because many of these sites can be near the border areas, he said.

Even as he declined to disclose the sites which can be used for such aircraft movements or the number of such sites, Gadkari cited pockets in Arunachal Pradesh, which can benefit from such an arrangement.

He added that the traffic was also low in Arunachal Pradesh which can easily facilitate the flight movements as is being envisaged.

When asked if the roads will be able to take the aircraft, Gadkari said a majority of the new highways are being built of cement and concrete, which can comfortably take such loads.

It can be noted that a few years ago, the Indian Air Force had landed one of its frontline fighter aircrafts on a highway in north India to assess defence preparedness.

Gadkari elaborated that separate holding areas can be created along a highway where the aircraft can taxi to after landing, and can come back on the highway for take off after de-boarding and boarding.

He said having such an arrangement, where the road was put to use for multiple uses will be very cheap as compared to erecting a full-fledged airport.

Gadkari said the government has accorded high priority for expanding air connectivity and wants to build 350 airports across the country.

Meanwhile, making a case for ending corrupt practices at ports, Gadkari said the network of "liasoning and servicing agents" which ensure passage of containers should be destroyed. He also welcomed complaints in this regard.

Gadkari also said that the country was interested in building a road in Myanmar, which can be further extended into Thailand and can help serve India's interests deeper in the south east Asia.

Having clinched the Chabahar Port in Iran, India will also be looking at helping create road and rail connectivity in Iran so that its interests in Afghanistan and further into Central Asia can be served, he said.

He said the national highway network, which spans 1.55 lakh kms at present, will touch 2 lakh kms in the next 2-3 months.

Gadkari said he has requested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to relocate some of the logistic parks on the upcoming bypasses which will help reduce pollution in the national capital.

He said amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act are also being planned and added that one of the plans is to make it compulsory to have air conditioned cabins for trucks, given the large amount of time drivers spend in the vehicles in hot condition.

A car scrapping policy is also in the works, which will come into effect along with switching to lower polluting engines, Gadkari said, adding that the scrapping of cars has the potential to make the country as the number one car manufacturing hub in the world.

While impressing the need for the people to be more aware, Gadkari said accidents like the one on the Mumbai-Pune expressway which killed 17 people could have been avoided if people were not mending a car puncture in the middle of the road.

Comments

arm
 - 
Saturday, 18 Jun 2016

Gadkari thinks this is Sugar Cane Farm, Where he can go and relieve him self.

suleman beary
 - 
Saturday, 18 Jun 2016

Talking non sense.

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Agencies
March 10,2020

Bhopal, Mar 10: Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Tuesday parried questions on the exact number of MLAs supporting the party in Madhya Pradesh amid a political crisis triggered by the resignation of Jyotiraditya Scindia and 14 MLAs loyal to him.

Repeating his allegation that the BJP was trying to destabilise the Congress-led government, Singh told reporters that the BJP had arranged three chartered planes for Bengaluru on Monday to fly out some MLAs loyal to Scindia.

"We want to know why Bengaluru is used every time to destabilise governments?" he questioned.

When asked about the number of MLAs supporting the Congress in the current political scenario, Singh only said, "Just wait".

He said an atmosphere of uneasiness has been prevailing in the BJP since the Kamal Nath government started cracking a whip on various mafias.

"We (the state government) are exposing Vyapam scam, e-tendering scam, Madhyam scam. In the honey-trap case, BJP men were found to be involved. This will be exposed," he said.

The political crisis in Madhya Pradesh precipitated with the resignation of Jyotiraditya Scindia over his apparent marginalisation in the state politics. Following Scindia's suit, 14 legislators loyal to him have sent their resignation letters via e-mail to Madhya Pradesh Raj Bhavan.

Scindia was subsequently expelled from the Congress by party president Sonia Gandhi.

Speculation that the Guna royal might join the BJP gained ground after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi this morning.

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News Network
April 20,2020

Kalaburagi, Apr 20: With no COVID-19 case reported here on Sunday, the total number of virus-infected people in the district stood at 22.

While three persons have succumbed to the infection in the district so far, three others have been cured and discharged.

"No COVID-19 case was reported in Kalaburagi district today. Total 22 positive cases and 3 deaths have been reported in the district till date. Three persons have been cured," said District Magistrate B. Sharat.

Karnataka's total count of coronavirus patients has surged to 390, said the State Health Department on Sunday.

"Six new cases have been confirmed for COVID-19 in the State from 5 pm on Saturday till 5 pm on Sunday. Cumulatively, 390 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state," it said.

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News Network
March 6,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 6: All the arrested in a case of sedition filed over a school play in Karnataka's Bidar have been granted anticipatory bail by a court that said the case lacked enough basis.

The play, themed on protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), "has not caused any disharmony in the society", said the district and sessions court in Bidar.

The play, performed in January by the children of prestigious Shaheen School, landed in trouble when a sedition complaint was filed over an 11-year-old girl's lines - enacting an elderly woman, she said if anyone asked for documents she would hit them with slippers.

That led to a sedition case and the police questioning children, teachers and the school management over many rounds.

"The drama has not caused any disharmony in the society. Considering all the circumstances, I am of the opinion that the ingredients of Section 124A of IPC (Sedition) are prima facie lacking," said the court.

Five members of the school management team have been granted protection from arrest. Earlier, the head teacher and the mother of the student who spoke the dialogue were sent to custody, but on other charges including the abetment of an offence. They were not accused of sedition. They were later granted bail.

The repeated questioning of young students and the arrest of the widowed mother of a student caused a huge uproar in the town.

An order is expected soon on the bail application in another sedition case in Karnataka, against three Kashmiri students. The students, who were studying in Hubbali in north Karnataka, are facing charges for reportedly using pro-Pakistani slogans in an online post. The Hubbali Bar Association had asked its members not to represent the students. Lawyers from Bengaluru who went to Hubbali represent the students were heckled.

On Thursday, a team of lawyers from different districts again went to Hubballi and were provided police protection. BT Venkatesh, one of the lawyers, said he had a meeting with bar association members and that the matter was sorted out. The students have applied for bail and an order is expected next week.

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