New civilian terminal to soon come up at Agra airport: min

Agra, Aug 29 (PTI) A new civilian terminal will soon comeup at the Kheria air force base here to provide internationalfacilities to passengers visiting the Taj city. This was stated by Union Tourism and Culture MinisterMahesh Sharma who inaugurated a private IVF centre hereyesterday. The Kheria airport is at present under the control ofIndian Air Force which allows one of its air strips to be usedfor civilian flights. After a meeting with the district officials, Sharma saidRs 100 crore has already been sanctioned for upgrading theKheria Airport and construction of the civilian terminal, forwhich about 50 acres of land has already been acquired. The proposed Jewar international airport in adjoiningGautam Buddha Nagar would serve the needs of the nationalcapital region (NCR), while the one in Agra would primarilycater to the tourists visiting the Taj Mahal, he said. Sharma said funds have also been sanctioned for increasinggreen cover in the controversial Taj Heritage Corridor andsome stretches along Mehtab Bagh, a garden complex situatedopposite bank the Taj Mahal. The minister also assured tourism industry leaders thatfirm action would be initiated against cheats (lapkas) andentry of photographers restricted to the Taj Mahal. PTI CORKIS DVKIS