Rs120m received for Mansehra airport project: official

MANSEHRA: The federal government has transferred an amount of Rs120 million in the account of district administration to acquire land for the establishment of an airport in Sawan Mera area here, an official said on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters, Deputy Commissioner Iqbal Hussain said that on completion of survey by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Revenue Department of the district administration had launched the process to acquire 6,000 kanals of land in three villages of Sawan Mera Union Council in Tanawal area. “We need 500-meter wide and 2km long piece of land and more money would be transferred in our account as needed,” said Iqbal Hussain.

He said though he was not in a position to give the exact timeframe for completion of this mega project, the district administration wants to complete it as early as possible. The deputy commissioner said the establishment of an airport in Tanawal area was not part of the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Meanwhile, Naeem Sakhi Tanoli, the district councillor from Sawan Mera Union Council, told reporters that Member National Assembly Mohammad Safdar has been taking interest in the airport project that would benefit residents of Mansehra and entire Hazara. He said the land acquisition process was being completed rapidly in Batel Jasgran, Sawan Mera and Timmer Dheri villages.