Date:29/07/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/07/29/stories/2005072901401700.htm

Back Hyderabad Airport financial closure shortly, says CM

Our Bureau

Hyderabad , July 28

THE State Government expects to conclude the financial closure for the prestigious Hyderabad International Airport in a day or two, the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, said.

The Rs 1,400-crore Greenfield Airport project at Shamshabad in the city outskirts is being implemented under public private partnership (PPP) by the consortium of GMR Infrastructure Ltd and Malaysian Airport Holdings Berhad

Dr Reddy was addressing a two-day summit on Sustainable PPPs in Infrastructure (Suminfra-2005) organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here on Thursday.

Referring to the announcement made by the Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr N. Dharam Singh, earlier at the CII meeting, on the recently concluded financial closure of Bangalore International Airport, Dr Reddy said the Hyderabad International Airport also expects to commence commercial operations by March 2008.

According to the Chief Minister, the Government is also planning to ensure financial closure of the Gangavaram Port, one of the seaports being developed under PPP, in the next couple of months.

On the other initiatives of the Government on facilitating robust infrastructure in place, Dr Reddy said the State is also taking up development the 160-km eight-lane expressway on the outer ring road in Hyderabad through PPP. The works of this project would commence in the next three months.

Dr Reddy said the Government was keen on taking up projects on PPP model in the areas of drinking water and wastewater management.

The Government has advised its officials recently to explore opportunities for entering into PPPs for developing sewerage treatment plants in each of the municipalities across the State.

"We are competing closely with Karnataka in several areas such as information technology and biotechnology for attracting major investments. We hope that either Andhra Pradesh or Karnataka or both would emerge as the most favoured investment destinations in the country," Dr Rajasekhara Reddy said.