Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 01 2009:
THE UPGRADATION of the Imphal Airport into an airport having day-and-night landing facility is likely delay as the construction of the barracks for the deployment of security at the sites where Solar Powered Obstruction Lights (SPOLs) in the nearby hills of the airport have been delayed.
Mention may be made that the state government in a joint venture with the Airport Authority of India has been trying to provide the night landing facility to the Imphal Airport by March this year.
An official intimation received by the state government from the joint manager (AERO) of Airport Authority of India regarding the upgradation of the Imphal Airport to day-and-night airport said that even though the installation of SPOLS at the select hills around the Imphal Airport is nearing completion, the static security being arrange by the state government is yet to be provided owing to the delay in construction of barracks, etc at these hills.
The intimation sent on January 27 last to the state authority stated that from the cursory look at the internal correspondence between the state police and transport department, the authority could point out that police are awaiting the completion of construction works of the security barracks at the hill sites where SPOLs are being installed for deploying static security.
While expressing the much need for static security forces at the sites, the intimation also informed that the non-availability of security at the said sites was making it possible for the anti social elements to damage and destroy the SPOLs, before placing the security at the sites.
The fitting of the SPOLs would be completed within a couple of days if there is security
, it stated.
The Airport Authority expressed that they wanted to provide security in a systematic manner for starting the fitting of the SPOLs, and urged the state authority to intervene in speeding up the construction of security barracks.