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Sarikah Atreya

Gangtok, Jan. 7 Over a decade after the Centre gave the nod for an airport in Sikkim, construction for the State’s first greenfield airport at Pakyong is expected to commence in the second week of January. The Punj Llyod Group was awarded the contract by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) today. The Rs 264-crore project is to be completed in 24 months.

The scope of the project includes construction of a 30-m-wide runway 1.7-km-long, a taxiway, an apron drainage system and electrical works for the airport.

The Punj Lloyd Group feels it is a challenge to build an airport in hilly terrain. The airport will have a height of 1404 m above mean sea level.

A long-pending demand of the State Government, the air link is now finally on its way towards implementation. Sikkim has only one national highway link, which is frequently subject to political and natural disturbances.

The air link will also give a boost to the tourism potential of Sikkim. More than 5,00,000 tourists visited Sikkim last year and the State is aiming at attracting 7,00,000 tourists within the next three years.

On October 16 last year, the Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its approval for construction of a greenfield airport at Pakyong.

More Stories on : Infrastructure | Other States

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