Rajkumar Choudhary
Gaggal (Kangra)
The expansion of Gaggal Airport has left thousands of shopkeepers and workers facing displacement. While shopkeepers are being considered for compensation, workers employed in these shops for the past 20–25 years fear losing their livelihoods overnight.
Affected workers expressed deep concern, stating that their decades of service will vanish in a single stroke, leaving them unable to support their families or continue their children’s education. They emphasized that despite shops being demolished for the project, the government has yet to clarify what relief or compensation will be provided to them.
The workers have appealed to the Deputy Commissioner of Kangra, the Airport Authority, and the state government to formulate a rehabilitation and compensation policy that includes not only shopkeepers but also the employees who depend on these establishments for survival.
