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The PM will inaugurate the airport at 9:30 am and dedicate the 600 MW Kameng hydro power station in West Kameng district to the nation at the function before leaving for Varanasi and Gujarat.
Donyi Polo Airport
The name of the airport reflects the traditions and rich cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh and its age-old indigenous reverence for the Sun (‘Donyi’) and the Moon (‘Polo’), as per ANI. It has been developed by the Airports Authority of India at an estimated cost of Rs 645 crore, in an area spanning over 690 acres. It will have eight check-in counters and can accommodate 200 passengers during peak hours, as per PTI.
With a 2,300-metre runway, the airport is suitable for all-weather day operations, ANI reported. The airport terminal is a modern building, which promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy and the recycling of resources.
Before this, there was no airport in Arunachal Pradesh. The closest facility is at Lilabari airport, 80 km away in Assam’s North Lakhimpur district.
IndiGo Airlines will commence commercial flights from the airport from November 28. Flights connecting Hollongi, which is around 15 km from Itanagar, with Mumbai and Kolkata will operate daily barring Wednesday. A weekly flight service connecting Hollongi with Kolkata on Wednesdays will begin on December 3, the chief strategy and revenue officer of IndiGo, Sanjay Kumar had said earlier.
Besides IndiGo, Akasha and Flybig airlines have also expressed interest in starting flight services from Donyi Polo airport, AAI General Manager Dilip Kumar Sajnani said.
Meanwhile, the Kameng hydro project, which the PM will dedicate to the nation, has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 8,450 crore in an area spread over more than 80 km in West Kameng district. It is expected to make Arunachal Pradesh power surplus and benefit the national grid in terms of stability and integration.
PM to Inaugurate ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ in Varanasi
In what is a packed schedule, the Prime Minister will visit Varanasi from Arunachal Pradesh where he will inaugurate a month-long programme, ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ on Saturday.
The programme is being organised by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with other ministries like culture, textiles, railways, tourism, food processing, information and broadcasting, and the Uttar Pradesh government.
“The programme aims to provide an opportunity for scholars, students, philosophers, traders, artisans, artists and people from other walks of life from the two regions to come together, share their knowledge, culture and best practices and learn from each others’ experience,” a senior Ministry of Education (MoE) official said as per PTI.
“The endeavour is in sync with the new National Education Policy 2020’s emphasis on integrating the wealth of Indian knowledge systems with modern systems of knowledge.
“IIT Madras and the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) are the two implementing agencies for the programme,” he added.
PM Modi in Gujarat
The Prime Minister will finally land in poll-bound Gujarat on Saturday evening for a three-day visit. He will first hold a rally in Valsad at 7:30 pm and is set to participate in at least eight programmes across the state, from Saurashtra to Surat, on November 19, 20 and 21.
On November 20, the PM will visit the Somnath Temple and then address four rallies in the Saurashtra region. Venues have been finalised at Veraval, Dhorarji, Amreli and Botad, the Times of India reported.
On day three, he will hold three rallies in Surendranagar, Bharuch and Navsari, it said, and the PM is also expected to hold a closed-door meeting with state leaders during his visit.
Incidentally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is taking a detour from his Bharat Jodo Yatra to campaign in the state, is also expected to visit Navsari on November 21, the same day as the PM.
Gujarat has been the BJP’s stronghold for 27 years, with PM Modi being its longest-serving Chief Minister. This time, the party under the leadership of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and CR Patil is aiming to fetch more than 140 seats in the 182-seat Assembly elections.
Gujarat will go for polling in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will occur on December 8, which coincides with Himachal Pradesh’s result date.
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