Chandigarh, July 8 -- Calling it a glaring instance of squandering of public money to satisfy political vanity, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) on Tuesday demanded a public audit of the expenditure on the Hisar airport project and a white paper on the feasibility work. Launching a sharp attack on the BJP government in Haryana, former Haryana finance minister, Sampat Singh said that despite consuming Rs.1,457 crore of public funds, the Hisar airport remains grossly underutilised, poorly positioned and far from becoming a viable regional aviation asset. Reacting to July 7 Hindustan Times news report - Infra investment soars, passenger traffic doesn't at Hisar airport - the INLD leader said the airport handled only 9,559 passengers in a year, recorded 474 aircraft movements, moved zero cargo, and consumed 63 % of the civil aviation department's capital budget. "These are not signs of a rising aviation hub. These are the numbers of a poorly conceived project that was pushed ahead without seriousness, without market discipline, and without a credible business case. An airport with fewer passengers than a busy city bus terminal cannot be sold as a success story," the former minister said. Seeking an immediate halt to any further capital spending until a credible viability and positioning plan is prepared, Singh said while there was no formulation of a convincing airline strategy by the government, it harped on slogans, ceremonies, and photo opportunities. Singh said if a project is to survive, it must be planned like a business and not celebrated like a political trophy. "You do not pour money into an airport and then hope passengers will magically appear. You first identify the market, secure airline interest, build connectivity, and create cargo and tourism linkages. Only then does an airport become viable," he said....