The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) sanctioned the proposal for the Phase-I development of a new greenfield airport in Dholera, Gujarat at an evaluated cost of Rs 1,305 crore. The airport construction will be finished within 48 months.

The airport will also function as a second airport to Ahmedabad. Notably, the move comes ahead of the assembly elections planned in Gujarat this year.

The project is being executed by Dholera International Airport Company Limited (DIACL), which is a joint venture (JV) including the Government of Gujarat (GoG), Airports Authority of India (AAI), and National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) holding equity in the ratio of the New Greenfield Airport at Dholera is located at an aerial distance of 80 Km from Ahmedabad Airport.

The Airport is planned for operationalisation from the year 2025-26, and initial passenger traffic is evaluated to be 3 lakh passengers per annum, anticipated to grow to 23 lakh over 20 years. The annual cargo traffic is also evaluated from the year 2025-26 at 20,000 tonnes, which would rise to 2,73,000 tonnes over 20 years.

The Union Cabinet also discussed the contract inked among the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states on collaboration in the field of youth work.

Consequent to the adoption of the contract by the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on cooperation in the field of youth work, the contract was inked by the Government of the Republic of India, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports. The authorised working language of the SCO Secretariat is Chinese and Russian.

The cooperation areas further include training of professional staff in the sphere of work with youth; reference and methodological materials, youth public organisation, exchange of scientific, work experience of state bodies, other organisations, and associations involved in the execution of state youth policy and aid youth initiatives; exchange of scientific publications, research works on topical problems of preventing youth involvement in destructive structures; carrying out joint research and activities on various youth policy issues and youth cooperation; boost joint economic and humanitarian initiatives aimed at engaging youth in entrepreneurship and innovative projects to grow their employment and well-being; supporting the activities of the SCO Youth Council.

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