Cong conspired to keep city airport from int'l flights: Malik

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 28

After the increase in the frequency of Air India flight form Amritsar to Birmingham, Shwait Malik, state president of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), tore into the Congress, accusing it of deliberately ignoring the Shri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in the city.

"The overwhelming response the Amritsar-Birmingham flight has been getting has exposed the conspiracy of the Congress against the Shri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport. I had stated in my first speech in Rajya Sabha that it was a conspiracy of the Congress against the Amritsar airport to stop the international flights," he said.

According to Malik, the UPA government was hand in glove with a private entrepreneur, who had hijacked the airport and stopped all the profitable flights. The success of flights to Birmingham and Singapore prove that the Congress made the "blunder" during its governance by degrading the airport of the holy city. Congress leaders did this sinful act against the devotees, who were deprived to visit the Golden Temple due to non-availability of flights, he said.

Malik claimed that the extension and strengthening of the runway had been completed due to his efforts. Provision of more aerobridges will start functioning from May 2. Development of first floor of the existing terminal building is under progress. Around 9,000 sq metre of commercial space is being developed in which duty free shops, lounges, commercial shops, food court, health spa is being constructed," he added.