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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Saikia on Sunday criticised Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi over his recent statement on the Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) in Assam, terming his remark "very immature" and asserting the strategic importance of the aviation infrastructure in the state.
Speaking to the media, Saikia said, "Gaurav Gogoi has given a very immature statement. He has tried to belittle the matter concerning national security." Praising the newly developed facility at Moran, he said, "Moran bypass ELF, an emergency landing facility, is made possible today," further claiming that during the Congress tenure, "it was impossible to even drive through that area." Saikia's remarks came after Gogoi, on Saturday, commented on the ELF and raised concerns over the current state of civil aviation infrastructure. The Congress leader alleged that air travel has become increasingly expensive for the common people and claimed that airport conditions were deteriorating. "For common people, travelling in an aeroplane has become extremely expensive. Flights get cancelled at any moment. Airports are getting worse than Railway stations. People are fighting each other," he claimed. The Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) is the first of its kind in Northeast India. It has been specially designed and constructed in coordination with the Indian Air Force to support the landing and takeoff of military and civil aircraft during emergencies. It will serve as a critical asset for emergency response, enabling quick deployment of rescue and relief operations during natural disasters or strategic requirements in the Northeast. Envisioned as dual-use infrastructure, the ELF is capable of handling fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport aircraft up to 74 tonnes maximum take-off weight. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said it is a matter of immense pride that the Northeastern region has an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) and that the facility is of great importance from a strategic point of view. "It is a matter of immense pride that the Northeast gets an Emergency Landing Facility. From a strategic point of view and during times of natural disasters, this facility is of great importance," PM Modi said in a post on X. (ANI
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