Airport project gets fresh lease of life

BANGALORE, MAY 3: The controversial international airport project at Devanahally, near Bangalore, received a new lease of life on Monday ...

BANGALORE, MAY 3: The controversial international airport project at Devanahally, near Bangalore, received a new lease of life on Monday with the signing of a fresh memorandum of understanding MOU to implement it, following the Tata-led consortium8217;s decision to back out of the proposal.

The project will be implemented by a joint venture company with the Airports Authority of India AAI and the Karnataka State Industrial Investment Development Corporation KSIIDC holding 13 per cent equity each and the co-promoter, the remaining 74 per cent. The MOU was signed between the AAI chairman D V Gupta and the KSIIDC Chairman and Managing Director B K Das, in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister J H Patel and Civil Aviation Minister Ananth Kumar.

Speaking on the occasion, Ananth Kumar informed that the foundation stone for the project 8212; estimated to cost Rs 1200-1500 crore 8212; would be laid before July 15 and the completion of the project would take 36 months thereafter.

Stating that the global tenderdocuments would be prepared in ten days, Ananth Kumar said a steering committee would be formed and global tenders invited. The Tata consortium, which had signed a MOU with the KSIIDC way back in 1995, had pulled out of the project a few months ago expressing displeasure over the delay in according clearance to the project.

Ananthkumar said a key infrastructure development cell would be set up in the Civil Aviation Ministry to monitor the implementation of the project. All issues concerning the international airport had been solved. The Defence Ministry-owned HAL airport would be used for operation of 50-seater and below aircraft, VVIP movements, defence purposes and for world-class manufacturing facility.

The international airport marked a major leap in the Government8217;s decision to corporatise five airports in the country and it would be under an autonomous corporation, the first in the Civil Aviation Ministry, he said. Under an autonomous corporation, the new airport would be 8220;self-propelled,self-developing and self-reliant8221;.

The new airport which would provide global connectivity to Bangalore, considered the Silicon Valley8217; of Asia, would be futuristic with facilities like an infotech centre, conferencing and an amusement park, he said.

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Patel said an international airport for Bangalore, which has been acknowledged as one of the top 10 technopolises in the world, was a long-felt need. He hoped that the concerned authorities would stick to the specified time-schedule to implement the project.

The Chief Minister stated that the Karnataka Government had done whatever was possible to make the international airport a reality and complimented Ananthkumar for his 8220;relentless pursuit8221; of the project.

Karnataka Large and Medium Industries Minister B L Shankar, Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary P V Jayakrishnan and the Karnataka Government Chief Secretary B K Bhattacharya were present on the occasion.