Now Punjab And Haryana Fight Over Ownership Of Chandigarh Airport, After Punjab Calls It Mohali Airport

As if long-standing disputes over river water and Chandigarh as state capital were not enough to send tempers in Punjab and Haryana soaring, the two states now have a fresh issue to fight over - the newly constructed international airport at Mohali.

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Even as the first direct international flight took off for Sharjah from the airport on Thursday, Haryana chief minister, shot off an angry letter to his Punjab counterpart for trying to project the airport as Punjab's achievement.

According to Khattar, it was a joint venture where both states have invested equally.

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In protest, Khattar even boycotted the inaugural ceremony. The Haryana chief minister was invited by Air India for its Chandigarh-Sharjah flight, but neither he nor any of his representatives attended the ceremony at the glitzy airport.

According to the MOU signed in 2008, Punjab and Haryana contributed Rs 200 crore each for the project.

AP

In his letter addressed to Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, Khattar has said, "I am deeply anguished by the advertisements that appeared in various newspapers terming the Chandigarh international airport as Mohali airport. The fact is that the final nomenclature of this airport has not yet been decided by the government of India. Airport is managed by Chandigarh International Airport Limited, where AAI (Airports Authority of India) have 51% equity partnership and state governments of Haryana and Punjab hold an equity @ 24.5 each."