Airport work likely to start on Nov. 1

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, AUG. 29. The number of bidders to build the international airport at Devanahalli near Bangalore has now come down to two and both the ``preferred bidders'' have been asked to submit detailed project reports.

This was informed to presspersons during a visit to the airport site on Tuesday, by the Minister of State for Infrastructure Development and Civil Aviation, Mr. T. John.

He said the Government hoped to start work on the ground by November 1, and there were plans to invite the Prime Minister, Mr. Vajpayee, for the foundation stone laying ceremony.

Mr. G. L. Jere, General Manager, KSIIDC, which is the designated nodal agency of the State Government for airports, said both the bidders - whose identities have not been revealed- were already working on their reports. The final private sector partner would be one of the two, he added.

The airport project will be a joint venture among the KSIIDC, which represents the State Government, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) representing the Union Government and a private sector partner. The two governments together will have a stake of 26 per cent and the rest will be held by the private partner.

Initially one runway of 12,000 feet would be built to international specifications, capable of taking the ``largest widebodied aircraft there is,'' Mr. Jere said. The runway was being built with an east-west orientation. There was provision to build a parallel runway, Mr. Jere said. This might come up in the next 15 years, which was usually the initial ``time horizon'' of an airport as an infrastructure, he said.

Mr. Jere said the approach route from Bangalore city would be in the form of an overdrive access spur starting on National Highway 7, leading right up to the airport terminal. This way, there would be no disruption of traffic on the highway.

Notification given

A total of 4,276 acres and 11 guntas of land has been identified for building the airport in an area of roughly 3 km. along the north-south direction and 6 km. along the east-west direction.

The land includes 1,368 acres and 12 guntas of minor forests of Bettakote and Yertiganahalli, 346 acres of government and kharab land, 49 acres of irrigation land, 29 acres and two guntas of the Department of Mines and Geology, 39 acres and four guntas of the Railways and 2,473 acres of private land.

Final notifications were issued this month to acquire 2,473 acres of private land, a Special Officer of the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) said.

This land was being acquired at Rs. 5 lakhs per acre. Of the 1,600 owners identified, 150 had submitted documents and applications for compensation.

In addition, the Government had to make good the forest land taken up here and also pay a compensatory afforestation amount of about Rs. 2.7 crores to the Forest Department, the officer said. Revenue land was being identified at Magadi, Nelamangala and Channapattana for this purpose, he added.

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