News

‘Air India privatisation will boost aviation sector’

Published

2 years ago

2021/10/21

Modi at the opening of Kushinagar airport:

Privatization of Air India would give new energy to the aviation sector in India, Premier Narendra Modi declared after inaugurating the new international airport at Kushinagar.

A SriLankan flight carrying about 100 Buddhist monks and a ministerial delegation led by Namal Rajapaksa became the first aircraft to land there.

Referring to the recent decision to privatise Air India, Modi said the country had taken a big step related to Air India so that its aviation sector should run professionally, and convenience and safety should be given priority.

“This step will give new energy to the aviation sector of India,” the prime minister said and also referred to the reforms related to the opening of defence airspace for civil use.

Premier Modi said that his government had taken a number of steps to infuse new energy into the aviation sector.

Kushinagar is the final resting place of Gautama Buddha where he attained Mahaparinirvana after his death and is among the most important pilgrim spots for Buddhists.

The new airport, built at an estimated cost of Rs 260 crore, is part of the government’s endeavour to connect Buddhist pilgrimage sites around the world.

After inaugurating the airport, Modi said it would boost connectivity and tourism, while also helping develop an entire economic ecosystem in the region and create new job opportunities.

He said the government’s special attention to the development of places associated with Lord Buddha and developing Kushinagar were among the top priority areas for the UP and central governments.

On the newly launched ‘PM Gatishakti- National Master Plan’, Modi said this will not only improve the governance, but it will also be ensured that whether it is road, rail, or plane, they support each other and increase each other’s capacity.

On the UDAN scheme, he said more than 900 new routes have been approved in the last few years, out of which air service has started on more than 350.

Besides, more than 50 new airports or those which were not in service earlier have been made operational, he added.

The new Kushinagar airport’s terminal building is spread across 3,600 square metres. It has been developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in association with the Uttar Pradesh government.

The new terminal can handle 300 passengers during peak hours.

The airport will help in attracting more followers of Buddhism from home and abroad to Kushinagar and will enhance the development of a Buddhist theme-based circuit, according to the aviation ministry.

“Journey of Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti, Rajgir, Sankisa and Vaishali of Buddhist circuit will be covered in lesser time,” the civil aviation ministry said.

All News Advertisement

Foreign News

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger dies aged 100

Published

2 hours ago

2023/11/30

Priyan

Henry Kissinger at the State Department's 230th anniversary celebrations in 2019

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has died at the age 100.

He served as America’s top diplomat and national security adviser during the Nixon and Ford administrations.

In a statement, Kissinger Associates, a political consulting firm he founded, said the German-born former diplomat died at his home in Connecticut but did not give a cause of death.

During his decades long career, Mr Kissinger played a key, and sometimes controversial, role in US foreign and security policy.

Born in Germany in 1973, Kissinger first came to the US in 1938 when his family fled Nazi Germany. He became a US citizen in 1943 and went on to serve three years in the US Army and later in the Counter Intelligence Corps. After earning bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees, he taught international relations at Harvard.

In 1969, then-President Richard Nixon appointed him National Security Adviser, a position which gave him enormous influence over US foreign policy in two administrations.

(BBC)

News

Rupees 1,500 million allocated for ‘Greater Kandy Urban Development Program’ – State Minister for Provincial Councils and Local Government

Published

3 hours ago

2023/11/30

Priyan

State Minister for Provincial Council and Local Government Janaka Wakkambura participating in a Press Briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) on Wednesday (29) under the theme ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’, announced that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has allocated Rs. 1,500 million for the “Greater Kandy Urban Development Program” in this year’s budget and that part of the allocation would to be utilized to develop the approach roads to Kandy City.

He also announced that the President had allocated Rs. 1,000 million to develop tourism by enhancing facilities through the involvement of local government bodies.

News

DMT unable to print nearly one million driving licences for want of blank cards

Published

5 hours ago

2023/11/30

Sahan Weerasooriya

Racketeers thrive on illegal printing of DLs

By Shiran Ranasinghe

The Department of Motor Traffic was unable to print about 900,000 driving licences due for want of blank plastic cards, Commissioner General of the Department of Motor Traffic Nishantha Weerasinghe told The Island.

He said his Department was doing its best to solve the problem, which could be sorted out in six months or so.

A senior official on condition of anonymity said the Department now printed about 200 driving licences for those who were going abroad or engaged in essential services.

However, some racketeers were printing about 700 licences illegally, he said.

Rs 5,000 each was charged for issuing illegally printed licences, the official said.

Commenting on the allegations, the Commissioner General of the Department of Motor Traffic said he will investigate the matter if he receives a complaint officially.