Chamber Demands Immediate Start of Construction, Calls for Public Timeline
Key Points:
- SCCI stages protest near Bistupur Postal Park over pending airport project
- Chamber chief says industrial, trade and tourism potential being hurt
- Bordering areas of Bengal and Odisha to benefit from airport, says SCCI
JAMSHEDPUR – The Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry staged a protest near the Bistupur Postal Park on Sunday, demanding immediate launch of the long-pending Dhalbhumgarh Airport project.
Chamber president Manav Kedia said the Dhalbhumgarh Airport project had been delayed for years. He noted that Jamshedpur and the Kolhan region rank among India’s foremost industrial zones.
“The absence of an airport is costing this region dearly,” said a chamber functionary. “Industry, trade and tourism are all being held back.”
Kedia urged both the central and Jharkhand governments to act without further delay. He demanded that all pending procedural and regulatory hurdles be cleared immediately. Moreover, he called for construction work to begin at the earliest.
He also demanded that a time-bound action plan for the project be made public. On the other hand, he stressed that the demand for direct air connectivity from the people of Jamshedpur and Kolhan could no longer be kept pending.
The chamber chief argued that the airport would benefit not just Jharkhand. He said border districts of West Bengal and Odisha would also gain from improved regional air connectivity.
He said the airport would give fresh momentum to industrial growth, trade, tourism and overall regional development. The protest was held near Bistupur Postal Park, a prominent location in the heart of the city.
The SCCI has previously also written to the Prime Minister’s Office urging expedited airport construction. The nearest currently operational airport to Jamshedpur is Ranchi‘s Birsa Munda Airport, roughly 130 km away.
