Rudrapur, May 10 -- The Uttarakhand civil aviation development authority (UCADA) has allotted 20 acres of land to the Indian Army near the site of the proposed international airport in Pantnagar in Udham Singh Nagar district, officials aware of the development said on Friday. "A proposal for land allocation to the Indian Army in Pantnagar had been submitted to the Uttarakhand government earlier. The government has now sanctioned 20 acres near the upcoming international airport," said additional district magistrate Ashok Joshi. He added that the nearest existing army base camps are located in Haldwani and Banbasa, approximately 30km and 100km away, respectively. According to officials, the army's plan to set up a base near Pantnagar aligns with the region's growing strategic and logistical significance, especially with the international airport project underway. The current domestic airport is being upgraded, with UCADA having handed over 524 acres of land to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in July 2024 for the expansion. The detailed project report (DPR) for the new airport is being prepared, and demolition of buildings belonging to various departments within the airport's periphery is currently in progress. As of now, the Pantnagar airport features a 1,372-metre runway, suitable for ATR-72 aircraft....