International airport: deadline extended

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, SEPT. 5. The State Government today extended, till September 30, the deadline for the consortium of L & T, Siemens and Zurich Airport, which has bid for the Devanahalli International Airport project, to consult their managements in Germany and come back for negotiations.

The Minister for Home and Infrastructure Development, Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, told presspersons here today that the consortium had been given time till August 31 for negotiations after which the matter was to considered by the State Cabinet. But the companies wanted some more time to consult their managements so that the committee extended the deadline.

He said the representatives had informed the Government that they would get back with a decision after the consultations. The consortium had been asked to reduce the projected construction cost of Rs. 1,200 crores and to suggest measures to make the airport economically viable. Asked whether the Government had informed the consortium about the project cost, Mr. Kharge said this would be done after the representatives returned from Germany.

On the conditions applicable to the consortium such as tariff, mobilisation of funds and lease period, Mr. Kharge said the Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna, had already written to the Centre on the tariff. The Centre was satisfied with the project which would be taken up at any cost.

On the reported statement of the former Civil Aviation Minister that the airport was not viable, Mr. Kharge said Bangalore accounted for 70 per cent of the airline tickets booked in south India. This fact had been recognised by Lufthansa, the German airline, which recently began flights to Frankfurt from here. It was, therefore, necessary to establish an international airport here which had already emerged as an important destination in the country. So the State Government was spending more money on land acquisition for the international airport project, he said.

Asked about the establishment of a visa office here so that people would not have to go to Chennai to obtain visas, Mr. Kharge said the matter would be taken up on priority as part of the infrastructure development programme. Permission had been sought to create four more posts of inspectors to act as immigration officers and set up four more immigration counters at the airport. The counters would be opened as soon as the posts were sanctioned, he said.

Law and order: Mr. Kharge said he would pay no heed to the demand being made by some persons for his resignation in view of a number of murders in Bangalore, and for his alleged failure to maintain law and order. The Director- General and Inspector- General of Police, Mr. V. V. Bhaskar, and the Police Commissioner, Mr. T. Madiyal, had taken measures to instil confidence among the people.

The system of patrolling had been slightly modified, and more personnel would be assigned to the Hoysala patrols.

But, with the process to recruit 2,500 constables and 60 sub- inspectors delayed as the matter was being examined by the Corps of Detectives and the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal, the Government was unable to provide more personnel for patrolling and investigation.

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