Noida Airport to be North India's logistics gateway-says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone of the Noida International Airport at Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar of Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and several State Ministers were present on this occasion. The development of this Greenfield airport will boost domestic and international air connectivity and help in transforming the adjoining areas by attracting huge investment opportunities. Addressing the gathering prime minister Modi asid that  the Noida International Airport will be the logistics gateway of north India. This will make the entire region a powerful reflection of the National Gatishakti masterplan. Today, 21st century India is seeing one mega infrastructure project after another. These do not just have a direct impact on the local population... but also transforms the entire region," the Prime Minister said, 

He also took swipes at the opposition and said some political parties in our country have always put their self-interest first. The thinking of these people is self-interest, only their own, development of the family and the development of the area where they live. They think this is Vikas, while we follow the spirit of nation first, Sabka Saath - Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas is our mantra, said Modi. The previous government of Uttar Pradesh even wrote a letter to the Centre asking it to stop the work of this airport. 

For the first time after India's Independence, this double-engine government is giving Uttar Pradesh its due. Earlier, the state would be criticised for bad roads, poor infrastructure, mafia, etc. Previous governments kept Uttar Pradesh poor. Today, the state is making its mark on the global stage, PM Modi said. Earlier projects would be announced but nothing would happen on the ground. Costs would escalate and blame games used to be played. Our government has ensured that infrastructure projects are finished on time. Otherwise, penalties will have to be paid, said PM Modi. The prime minister said that projects worth lakhs of crores are also going on in western Uttar Pradesh. Be it rapid rail corridors, expressways, metro connectivity, dedicated freight corridors connecting Uttar Pradesh with the eastern and western seas. These are becoming the new identity of the modern Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing the gathering Scindia said the airport, located in Jewar in Gautam Buddh Nagar district will bring investments worth Rs 34,000 crore and the first phase of the greenfield project is expected to be completed in 2024 with a capacity to handle 1.2 crore passengers annually. By the last phase of development, the Noida International Airport will even surpass Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and become India's leading airport, Scindia said and added that currently, there are nine operational airports in Uttar Pradesh and eight more will come up 

In his address Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said he expected as much as Rs 35,000 crore in investments ,once the Noida airport is fully built, and over one lakh in employment opportunities. This airport will play a critical role in the development of Uttar Pradesh by making it a major manufacturing and service sector hub. It has been projected that tremendous employment opportunities will be generated with the rapid industrial and service sector growth in the region. The airport will be the logistics gateway of northern India having a multi-modal cargo hub. 
The dedicated cargo terminal will have a capacity of 20 lakh metric tonnes, which will be expanded to 80 lakh metric tonnes in the coming years. The proposed site is close to major tourist attractions like Agra, Vrindavan, Mathura which will facilitate the tourism sector. Spread over more than 1,300 hectares of land, the airport will have a capacity to serve around 1.2 crore passengers a year. The first phase of the development of the airport is scheduled to be completed by 2024. The development of the first phase of the airport is being done at the cost of over 10 thousand crore rupees.