Rs. 550 cr. for development of airports

By Our Staff Reporter

RAJAHMUNDRY, JUNE 8. The Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr.Sharad Yadav, has said that the Airports Authority of India has formulated plans to spend more than Rs. 550 crores for development of airport infrastructure this financial year. Last year Rs. 400 crores was spent.

Addressing a public meeting after performing bhoomipooja and laying the foundation-stone for the upgradation of the runway and construction of new apron and link taxiway, costing Rs. 9 crores, at the Rajahmundry airport on Friday, the Minister said Rs. 50 crores would be spent on runway extension of the Hyderabad airport and Rs. 130 crores for the development of the airport at Visakhapatnam. For upgradation of the Tirupati airport Rs. 15 crores had been allotted.

Mr.S.B.P.B.K.Satyanarayana Rao, Rajahmundry MP, presided over the function. The Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr.G.M.C.Balayogi, was present. While stressing the need to develop proper infrastructure to attract foreign investment, Mr.Sharad Yadav said airports were an integral part in the development of trade and commerce.

Keeping in mind the financial and other constraints of the Government for speedy development of airports, it was decided to encourage private participation in the development of airports, as part of which Shamshabad in AP, Devanahalli in Bangalore and Kochi in Kerala were proposed to be given to private parties.

To achieve efficiency and international standards, the Government had decided to give four major airports - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai - on lease basis to private parties.

On safety, the Minister said air traffic services had already been modernised in Delhi and Mumbai and similar action was on for upgradation of the air traffic service at Kolkata and Chennai airports. State-of-the-art technology for air traffic management had been introduced to eliminate any chance of mishaps.

It had covered the entire sky in the country by radars, he pointed out. The idea was to make airports user-friendly and free from all hazards. Prof. Chamanlal Gupta, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, pointing to the global unrest and threats of security, said that this had required constant vigil.

Describing incidents of hijacking aeroplanes as acts of perverted minds, Prof. Chamanlal said to eliminate any such incidents, CISF personnel were being deployed at security sensitive airports.

Mr.Balayogi stressed the need for speedy development of civil aviation to cater to the needs of passenger traffic and cargo transport. In view of the proposed LNG terminal at Kakinada and ever increasing activities of the ONGC's KG basin, speedy development of the Rajahmundry airport was essential, he said.

Mr.S.B.P.B.K.Satyanarayana Rao said that development of airport at Rajahmundry would go a long way in helping transport of agricultural and horticultural cargo for which these parts were well known.

Mr.D.V.Gupta, Chairman, Airports Authority of India, the Minister for Cooperation, Mr.Chikkala Ramachandra Rao, MPs, Ms.Jayaprada and Ms.Vanga Gita - and others were among those present.

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