Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief
Saifuddin Soz today requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to
direct concerned authorities to put off the repair work at the
Srinagar airport as its closure for 15 days would cause
immense hardships to people.
Soz met the Prime Minister in New Delhi and told him
till an alternative arrangement was made, the airport should
not be shut for repair work, the Rajya Sabha MP said in a
statement here.
The Srinagar airport which handles around 12 flights
daily is to be closed for traffic from September one for at
least 15 days for runway repair work.
"I met the Prime Minister and sought his intervention
to get the repair work postponed.
"The Prime Minister assured me he will ask concerned
authorities to look into the matter immediately," Soz said.
"It is now clear the work will not be undertaken from
September one as there is no question of closing the airport
till an alternative arrangement is available," he said.
Soz told Manmohan Singh the closure of the airport
would cause tremendous hardships to the people of Jammu and
Kashmir in view of coming Eid festival.
"I told the PM unless an alternative airport at
Awantipora was thrown to air traffic, the repair work should
not be undertaken," the statement said.
PTI
