UP scheme on leasing out air strips nosedives before take-off

The Uttar Pradesh Government's ambitious venture to lease out its state air strips to private investors for setting up institutes...

The Uttar Pradesh Government’s ambitious venture to lease out its state air strips to private investors for setting up institutes of pilot training and aircraft maintenance engineering has gone into a nosedive even before its take-off.

The Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) has refused to grant no objection certificate (NOC) to a private aviation company, Thakuar Aviations, to set up a pilot training institute in Faizabad. The reason for the DGCA’s red signal is: security of Ayodhya, the twin city of Faizabad. Ayodhya has recently been declared a “no flying zone” due to terrorist threat to Babri mosque and Ram mandir.

The 12 airstrips in the state are in Ambedkarnagar, Ghazipur, Sultanpur, Aligarh, Meerut, Farrukhabad, Faizabad, Kushinagar, Sonebhadra, Lakhimpur Kheri, Shrawasti and Etawah district. At present, they are being used for VIP movement.

“The Home Ministry report, which was sent to DGCA, stated since Ayodhya has been declared a ‘no-flying zone’, permission could not be granted for a flying institute,” said Captain R Ramnani, the Manager (administration), Thakur Aviations, adding the company had invested Rs 1 crore to develop 300 acres of land at the air strip.

The company held a high-level meeting with the senior officers of the UP Government on April 23. “The Faizabad air strip, having a training institute run by the state Government, used to have aviation activities till 2001. Ram Janmabhoomi is 12 kms away from the airfield,” said Ramnani.

The Government, too, is preparing a representation in the company’s favour. “The presence of an aviation training institute would enhance the security rather than being a threat. The Government will stress this arguement in its representation,” said a senior officer in the Aviation Directorate.

Sources in the Aviation Directorate said the sate Government had given three months’ extension to Thakur Aviations even as it had been pursuing their case with the Home Ministry. Last July, the Mayawati Government decided to hand over all the 12 state-owned airstrips to private investors for setting up of flying training/aircraft maintenance engineering institutes on public private partnership (PPP) pattern. The Government received proposals for all airstrips barring the ones in Ghazipur, Sonebhadra, Farrukhabad and Meerut. Nine aviation companies came forward, including a few known names like Mumbai-based Ambition Flying Club and Delhi-based Pioneer Flying Club.

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Under the scheme, the Government is supposed to provide the private investor with an airstrip on a 30-year lease, besides hangers, terminal buildings for their use and will also allow them to construct and add facilities required for setting up of institutes.