Jamshedpur Airport Demand: Business Leaders Urge Union Aviation Minister & CM for Air Connectivity

Jamshedpur: Businessmen from Jamshedpur have written letters to Union aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu and CM Hemant Soren seeking a new airport in the city. Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SCCI) president Manav Kedia, in his letter, said growth of business in the local industrial hubs are getting adversely affected as Jamshedpur remains missing from the country’s aviation map.Kedia said on Tuesday, "Jamshedpur is the industrial capital of Jharkhand. But due to the absence of air connectivity, citizens, industrialists, traders, govt officials and students are compelled to travel to Ranchi or Kolkata for air travel. This causes immense inconvenience to them.""In 2019, foundation stone for the Dhalbhumgarh airport was laid by then CM Raghubar Das and then Union aviation minister Jayant Sinha.

However, due to forest and environmental objections, the project has remained stalled for more than six years. Centre and state govts should sit together and clear the bottleneck of this long-pending important project." SCCI president said, "Till forest clearances are sought, an interim solution can be worked out with the assistance of Tata group at the existing Jamshedpur airport.

A letter in this regard has also been written to global CEO and MD of Tata Steel T V Narendran, where it has been suggested that with modifications in the existing airport, plane services can be operated between Jamshedpur and other big cities."

Upcoming model Titiksha Pal said, "A large section of Gen Z are refusing to come back to the city as the place is not connected by air with other cities where they are studying or working."Talking to TOI, Jamshedpur MP Bidyut Baran Mahato said, "In the last six years, I have on many occasions met aviation ministers and tried to highlight the importance and air connectivity demand of the people of the city, which is more than 100 years old." Assurance for a full-fledged airport connecting Jamshedpur to the rest of the country was given by Union minister for tribal affairs Jual Oram. Oram told TOI on Saturday, "I will try to give a clear picture before the Union aviation minister and PM Narendra Modi of the problems faced by the people of this industrial city due to the lack of airport.

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