New Delhi(PTI): Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said eight airports have come up in the North East, including four in Arunachal Pradesh, in the last nine years, and emphasised that the region must be the gateway from the country to the South East.
Scindia, who will inaugurate new infrastructure facilities at Tezu airport in Arunachal Pradesh on September 24, said that in 2014, the state did not have a single airport and today, it has four airports.
The airports are Pasighat, Zero, Hollongi and Tezu.
In the 66 years of the country's independence, Scindia said the North East had only nine airports and in the last nine years, with the prime minister's resolve, the number has almost doubled to 17.
"The North East must be the gateway to India and from India, the gateway to the South East. This has been the prime minister's resolve and in line with that resolve and commitment in the last nine years, we have seen a transformation occur in the lives of people in the North East from the point of view of infrastructure development and social development...," he said here.
Tezu airport has been developed on 212 acres of land and is capable of handling operations for ATR 72 type of aircraft.
"Airports Authority of India (AAI) undertook the development and upgradation work to operationalise Tezu airport at the request of the state government. The works undertaken for Rs 170 crore includes the extension of the runway... and the construction of a new apron for 2 ATR 72 type aircraft, construction of a new terminal building, and a fire station cum ATC Tower," as per an official release issued on Wednesday.
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Paradip (PTI): The Odisha Police on Wednesday beefed up security at port town Paradip after the arrival of a ship with 21 Pakistani crew members on board, officials said.
The ‘MT Siren II’ with a total of 25 crew members reached Paradip port early on Wednesday from South Korea via Singapore, carrying crude oil for Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, they said.
Security arrangements have been tightened by Odisha Marine Police and the CISF after receiving information about the crew members from the Immigration Department, said Marine Police Station inspector in-charge Babita Dehuri.
The Paradip port had been put on high alert in the wake of the military conflict between India and Pakistan.
The ship is anchored at ‘PM berth’, located around 20 km from the shore, and has 11,350 metric tonnes of crude on board, the officials said.
“Orders have also been issued that no crew will be allowed to leave the ship during evacuation of the crude oil,” the police officer said.