Survey soon on land for airport expansion

Survey soon on land for airport expansion
The Hindu.com

Staff Correspondent

Airports Authority of India needs 386 acres of land more for master plan implementation
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Work on airport terminal to be completed in two months

Runway, taxiway, apron and associated works to end by July 31

Rs. 7.5 crore allocated for airport expansion this year
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HUBLI: Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Revenue Department will conduct a survey by month end to ascertain the land needed for the proposed expansion of the Hubli Airport.

K. Ramalingam, regional executive director, Southern Region, Airports Authority of India (AAI), told presspersons here on Monday that the AAI required 386.6 acres of land more for the implementation of the master plan to upgrade the airport. Dr. Ramalingam visited the airport along with Jagadish Shettar, Revenue Minister, Pralhad Joshi, MP, M.S. Srikar, Deputy Commissioner, and P. Manivannan, Commissioner of the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation.

On the work taken up at the airport, he said the expansion of the terminal would be completed in two months. Strengthening of the runway, taxiway, apron and associated works that were underway at a cost of Rs. 7.12 crore were likely to be completed by July 31.

Dr. Ramalingam said Rs. 7.86 crore was sanctioned last year for the work on upgrading the airport.

The Government had allocated Rs. 7.5 crore for the purpose this year.

The airport would have a fire station by this December, and fencing work would be completed by March next.

According to the master plan, the airport would be upgraded to handle Airbus 320. The runway had to be extended by another 2,000 ft. for the purpose. Its width had to be increased from 30 ft. to 45 ft. To make it an "all-weather airport", the AAI required 386.6 acres of land more, he said.

To implement the master plan, some residential areas had to be acquired. There was a need to revise the plan to avoid acquisition of residential areas.

"We will be bring the issue to the notice of the central office, following which a joint survey will be held," he said.

Dr. Ramalingam said that after taking possession of land, the AAI needed 24 months for the execution of the master plan.

Property tax arrears


Dr. Ramalingam said AAI took over the airport recently and appealed to the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation to waive property tax arrears of Rs. 40 lakh due to it by the airport.

C.P. Purushottam, general manager of aerodrome of AAI, and T.S. Chandramouli, general manager, construction, were present.