Shimla, Aug 20 (IANS): The Himachal Pradesh government will expand the runway of the Gaggal airport near Dharamsala by nearly 600 metres, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur informed the Assembly on Tuesday.
"There is a proposal to expand the runway from 1,372 metres to 2,000 metres," Thakur, who holds the Tourism and Civil Aviation portfolio, said in a written reply.
He said for its expansion the land of four panchayats -- two in Shahpur tehsil and two in Kangra tehsil -- would be acquired.
The Gaggal airport is located in the vicinity of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama's abode in McLeodganj that attracts a steady stream of Tibet enthusiasts, Buddhist scholars, back-packers and even Hollywood stars like Richard Gere.