Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Civil Aviation Minister, announced projects worth INR 2,361 crore (approx. USD 2,87,124.99) for the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. These include a Civil Enclave (Airport) at Jammu worth INR 861 crore and expansion of the terminal building at Srinagar at a cost of INR 1,500 crore. As informed by a news report in Times Now.

While inaugurating 4th Heli-India Summit 2022, Scindia said Srinagar’s present terminal will be expanded three times from 20,000 square meters to 60,000 square meters. Organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, with the support of the Government of J&K, Pawan Hans Ltd and FICCI, the summit on the theme “Helicopters for Last Mile Connectivity” brought together various stakeholders of the helicopter industry and provided a common platform to discuss the growth of the helicopter industry, the issues, challenges and solutions for the future, the ministry said in a statement.

On the occasion, Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor, J&K, commended the work of Union Civil Aviation Ministry, Pawan Hans and FICCI for promoting Heli Services as a means of public transport for both passengers and cargo to boost last mile connectivity. During the summit, Scindia said that the decrease in VAT on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) from 26.5 percent to 1 per cent by the J&K government has set a new dawn for air connectivity in the union territory with 360 percent increase in refuelling, thus increasing the air connectivity to Jammu and Kashmir.

The union minister said that the civil aviation has now become the need of the hour not only for India but for humankind across the world as it always brings with it two important multipliers, the economic multiplier, and the employment multiplier.

The sector has huge impact with economic multiplier of 3.1 and employment multiplier of 6, the minister informed. Therefore, the civil aviation across the world today forms a very important cog of the wheel of economic development, he added.