DIMAPUR, JUNE 22 (MExN): The Chief Minister’s Secretariat has issued a clarification over what it termed as “certain unfounded allegations and misplaced information that the State Government is not doing anything related to the problems being faced by the State in the aviation sector and the prevalence of poor air services in Nagaland”. “The fact is that the Chief Minister and the State Government has repeatedly taken up the multiple air connectivity problems being faced by the State with the Government of India and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. On many occasions the State Government has called upon the Government of India and the Civil Aviation Ministry to intervene and improve air connectivity in Nagaland”, stated a press note issued by from the CM’s office. Apart from writing letters to the Centre and the Ministry, the Chief Minister has also highlighted the problems of the State in this sector at various forums and in meetings with the Prime Minister and the Union Civil Aviation Minister, it was further informed. Some of the recent actions taken by the State Government are firstly, on 22nd March, 2006, the Chief Minister in a follow-up letter to the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Praful Patel, highlighted the plight of the State that the State capital is not connected by air.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in his letter mentioned the urgent need of an airport at Kohima and urged upon the Ministry to expedite the matter.
On 25th June, 2009, Chief Minister Rio in an aide memoir to the Union Civil Aviation Minister called for improving air-connectivity in Dimapur. Rio reminded the Minister on an earlier request to introduce daily Airbus service connecting Dimapur to the national capital New Delhi touching Guwahati and vice versa. In the same aide memoir, Rio reminded the ministry to expedite the Greenfield Airport at Chiethu, Kohima while assuring the Centre that the State Government would provide Land free of cost,
Power supply to the airport, Water supply to the airport and that Royalty would not be charged for any rock and earth from the excavation site and the same may be used for earth filling and other construction works.
Further it informed that on 20th September 2010, the Chief Minister wrote to the Union Civil Aviation Minister again reminding him that Nagaland is a landlocked State having just a few kilometres of railway line and the urgent need to improve air services in the State. He highlighted the problems being faced by the students, patients requiring treatment, movement of security personnel, etc. He also informed the union minister on the vast difference of air fares between prevalent rates in Assam and Manipur which were comparatively cheaper than Dimapur rates.
As per the press note from the CM’s Secretariat, Rio again requested the following such as to provide daily flights from Dimapur to Delhi via Guwahati and vice versa, to encourage private airlines to cover Dimapur Airport as per the Central government policy, rationalise airfare structure from Dimapur to Delhi – Kolkata as was being done in the case of Manipur, to introduce daily airbus flights between Kolkata – Dimapur – Kolkata daily and that Flight No. IC 7719 which flies daily to Jorhat from Kolkata be also made to touch down at Dimapur.
Likewise, on 8th October, 2010, the Chief Minister once again wrote to the Prime Minister reminding the Government of India on the urgent need to expedite the Greenfield Airport at Chiethu, Kohima. Further it was informed that in the recent NEC Meeting in New Delhi, the Chief Minister in his address once again highlighted the problems being faced by Nagaland in air connectivity and the need to improve air services in Nagaland including the problem of all flights to and from Dimapur being made to fly a longer route due to a no-fly zone in nearby Assam.
According to the CM’s Secretariat, the above were just some of the many initiatives which the Chief Minister and the State Government have undertaken with the Government of India with regard to improving air services and air connectivity in Nagaland. The State Government was committed to continue to strive for improvement in air connectivity, considering the fact that Nagaland is landlocked and there are only a few kilometres of rail tracks in the State, the press note stated. The State Government was also hopeful that the Government of India will take appropriate steps and measures to solve the problems of the people in the State and improve air connectivity in Nagaland.
On 25th June, 2009, Chief Minister Rio in an aide memoir to the Union Civil Aviation Minister called for improving air-connectivity in Dimapur. Rio reminded the Minister on an earlier request to introduce daily Airbus service connecting Dimapur to the national capital New Delhi touching Guwahati and vice versa. In the same aide memoir, Rio reminded the ministry to expedite the Greenfield Airport at Chiethu, Kohima while assuring the Centre that the State Government would provide Land free of cost,
Power supply to the airport, Water supply to the airport and that Royalty would not be charged for any rock and earth from the excavation site and the same may be used for earth filling and other construction works.
Further it informed that on 20th September 2010, the Chief Minister wrote to the Union Civil Aviation Minister again reminding him that Nagaland is a landlocked State having just a few kilometres of railway line and the urgent need to improve air services in the State. He highlighted the problems being faced by the students, patients requiring treatment, movement of security personnel, etc. He also informed the union minister on the vast difference of air fares between prevalent rates in Assam and Manipur which were comparatively cheaper than Dimapur rates.
As per the press note from the CM’s Secretariat, Rio again requested the following such as to provide daily flights from Dimapur to Delhi via Guwahati and vice versa, to encourage private airlines to cover Dimapur Airport as per the Central government policy, rationalise airfare structure from Dimapur to Delhi – Kolkata as was being done in the case of Manipur, to introduce daily airbus flights between Kolkata – Dimapur – Kolkata daily and that Flight No. IC 7719 which flies daily to Jorhat from Kolkata be also made to touch down at Dimapur.
Likewise, on 8th October, 2010, the Chief Minister once again wrote to the Prime Minister reminding the Government of India on the urgent need to expedite the Greenfield Airport at Chiethu, Kohima. Further it was informed that in the recent NEC Meeting in New Delhi, the Chief Minister in his address once again highlighted the problems being faced by Nagaland in air connectivity and the need to improve air services in Nagaland including the problem of all flights to and from Dimapur being made to fly a longer route due to a no-fly zone in nearby Assam.
According to the CM’s Secretariat, the above were just some of the many initiatives which the Chief Minister and the State Government have undertaken with the Government of India with regard to improving air services and air connectivity in Nagaland. The State Government was committed to continue to strive for improvement in air connectivity, considering the fact that Nagaland is landlocked and there are only a few kilometres of rail tracks in the State, the press note stated. The State Government was also hopeful that the Government of India will take appropriate steps and measures to solve the problems of the people in the State and improve air connectivity in Nagaland.
