All India Congress Committee in-charge communication and Haryana MlA, Randeep Singh Surjewala on Sunday alleged that BJP-led Central Government has betrayed Haryana’s interests by sanctioning the International Airport at Jewar, Uttar Pradesh.
“BJP Governments, at the Centre and State, have sold Haryana’s interest at the altar of political expediency. Truth is that the previous Congress-UPA Government had granted in-principle approval in the year 2013-14 for setting up a green field airport in the State,” said Surjewala.
He said Manohar lal Khattar Government in Haryana has, however, come a cropper, failing to protect Haryana’s claim. Ignoring Haryana’s claim to set up an International airport at Jhajjar or Meham or Karnal, Union BJP Government has made a unilateral announcement for setting up of a new International Airport at Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, he alleged.
The Congress leader said Haryana’s case for an International airport was the most meritorious and naturally acceptable. Till today, Haryana doesn’t have a single airport, National or International, for commercial air traffic. Previous Congress Government of Haryana made serious efforts and suggested the names of Meham, Jhajjar or Karnal for setting up of an International airport as a successor second airport to the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, he claimed.
Surjewala further said the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation had conducted a survey and gave in-principle approval for setting up of an airport in Haryana, dealing with both cargo and commercial traffic. In the meanwhile, Government at the Centre changed and Modi Government put the entire project on back burner. For three years, people of Haryana waited with great expectation but in an act of deception, Union Government has proceeded to shift the airport to Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, he said.
Conspiratorial silence of the Chief Minister, Manohar lal and BJP MPs of Haryana on this blatant sell out of Haryana’s interests is deeply intriguing. Indifference of Haryana BJP Government can be gauged from the fact that despite having equal share in Chandigarh International Airport, BJP Government has not succeeded in establishing a direct route to Chandigarh and Haryana from the new International Airport till date, added Surjewala.
He further alleged this only proved that the ruling BJP dispensation was only sticking to the perks of power instead of guarding Haryana’s interests.
What is even more saddening was the fact that despite a proposal made by previous Haryana Government to name Chandigarh Airport as “Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport”, no action has been taken by Union BJP Government on the issue till date, added the Congress leader.