Dharamshala, June 11 -- With the Kangra airport expansion project underway, Himachal Pradesh government has approved Rs.16.76 crore to 113 families on a humanitarian basis, who had shops and other businesses on government land, in the vicinity of the airport. As the land acquisition process for the Kangra airport expansion is underway, Rs.2,148 crore has been disbursed till June 4, officials aware of the matter said. The state government is expanding the airport and acquiring around 150 hectares of land for the project. The total cost of land acquisition has been pegged at approximately Rs.3,500 crore. Shahpur MLA and deputy chief whip Kewal Singh Pathania said this is perhaps the first case in the country where people running businesses on government land are receiving financial assistance from the government in connection with a land acquisition project. "The present state government is dedicated to supporting poor and middle-class families and this decision will help the affected people rebuild their livelihoods and continue earning a living," he said. The proposed expansion is expected to displace hundreds of families. According to estimates, at least 1,500 households across 14 villages would be affected. The expansion would also entail the displacement of almost the entire Gaggal township, located about 2 km from the airport, as noted in the Himachal government's social impact assessment(SIA) report released in May 2023. The expansion project, which is underway, aims to increase the runway length of Kangra airport from the current 1,376 metres to 3,010 metres. This extension is crucial for accommodating larger aircraft, such as the Airbus A320,which will enhance connectivity between the Kangra valley and other parts of the country....