In the midst of reform and open sky initiatives, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has not forgotten hometown Gondia. If all goes to plan, this little place near Nagpur will figure on the country’s aviation map within a year. Patel has obtained an in-principle approval from the Planning Commission for a plan that includes a huge aviation training complex in Gondia. To be called the National Flying Training Institute, it will be funded by the Civil Aviation ministry and will function on the lines of the IGRUA a.k.a the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udaan Academy in Rae Bareli. Given the shortage of commercial pilots and the expansion of the sector—more and more new airlines are stepping in—there’s a growing demand for pilot training facilities. This is what Patel proposes to do in Gondia. Located 170 km from Nagpur, Gondia is a district headquarter in the backward Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. It already has a 6,500-feet long airstrip, presently maintained by the state government and fit for small twin-engine aircraft. Patel’s ministry proposes to take over the airstrip and work on a more sophisticated facility for training. But this is not all that has been suggested. The larger plan is to build an entire civil aviation training complex, located over 350 hectares. This will also house a Civil Aviation Security Academy, an old proposal of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). Although a suitable site was being identified in Delhi, it will now be in Gondia. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) too plans to build a training facility for its aviation-related tasks in the same complex. ‘‘It is only right that this be located alongside the security academy,’’ Patel told The Indian Express. This proposal already has an in-principle approval from the Planning Commission and a detailed project report will be prepared for which Rs 20 lakh is said to have been sanctioned. Sources said the process of hiring a professional consultant to prepare the report has already begun. Why Gondia? ‘‘Why not?’’ asks Patel, adding that it is most suited for this purpose. ‘‘It is not because Gondia is where I come from. It is in the centre of the country, has fair weather throughout the year. Plus, there’s a functional airstrip and the Maharashtra government is providing land for free.’’ Patel points out that students lose precious flying hours at Rae Bareli’s IGRUA due to winter fog and inclement weather. ‘‘On the other hand, flying is possible 365 days a year in Gondia.’’ It’s learnt that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been asked to examine the possibility of taking over and reviving airstrips in other parts of Maharashtra, including Baramati, the home constituency of NCP chief and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. Others in the list include Ratnagiri, Amravati and Kolhapur.
