Flight operation may be stopped at Hubli airport

Flight operation may be stopped at Hubli airport
The Newindpress.com

Sunday December 24 2006 14:02 IST

HUBLI: Flight operation may be stopped at Hubli airport which is under upgradation process to meet international standards by Airport Authority of India, from next February 1, as Hubli Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) is all set to recover two fire tenders, the basic equipment for flight operation to make up tax dues of AAI, Hubli.

HDMC slapped a ‘final’ notice on AAI, Hubli asking it to pay property tax amounting to Rs 44,35,873, including the arrears for the last 12 years.

HDMC sources said that as per the KMC Act and as per the Supreme Court rulings, the HDMC already expressed its inability to give any exemption as sought by AAI.

Stating that it was inevitable the HDMC served a notice on AAI in August informing that it could not give any time and by September 30, if the tax was not paid, either in full or at least in part that is 50 per cent, the HDMC would recover the property tax, which may include attachment of moveable properties of the AAI, in Hubli airport.

On condition of anonymity, a senior officer of AAI, Hubli, said that Hubli airport had represented this case to the State Government requesting it to waive the dues and exempt it from payment of property tax as the airport was a loss making unit.

It would cost Rs 7-8 lakh a month to maintain and operate two flights, he said adding that “Further we believe that standards adopted by HDMC to levy tax are not realistic. It is a mistake since the HDMC awakened only after 2004 to serve notice for non-payment of tax.”

HDMC Commissioner P Manivannan clearly stated that he extended the date again till January 31 to pay dues as HDMC learnt that case was under consideration of the State Government. Failing which HDMC, in first phase, would recover two fire tenders and a jeep owned by AAI.

In the next phase it would move the court seeking recovery of immovable property of AAI, he said.

Meanwhile, sources said that District incharge and Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar was seriously considering to waive the tax dues, otherwise ‘passiveness’ of the State Government might send wrong signals to private operators like King Fisher Airlines who wanted to begin their services here from January.

Union Cabinet to decide on bringing Hubli-Dharwad under JNNURM

Union Cabinet to decide on bringing Hubli-Dharwad under JNNURM

The Hindu - Staff Correspondent

S. Jaipal Reddy to put the proposal before the Cabinet
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# Union Minister says UIDSMT more suitable for the twin cities
# Under it, Centre will bear 80 per cent of the cost
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HUBLI: Union Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy has said that the Centre was considering including Hubli-Dharwad in Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

In a video recording of his statement made by the JNNURM and Kalasa Banduri Nala Horata Samiti during a meeting in New Delhi, which was played before the presspersons here on Saturday, the Union Minister made it clear that Union Cabinet had to take a decision in this regard and he would take steps to place it before the Cabinet meeting. Mr. Jaipal Reddy has clarified that the other schemes mentioned by him during his meeting with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Congress leaders in New Delhi a few months ago was nothing but UIDSMT (Urban Infrastructure Development of Small and Medium Towns), which was part of JNNURM.

He clarified that there was no ceiling as such as far as funds under the UIGSM was concerned. In fact, UIDSMT was more suitable for urban local bodies as under it 80 per cent of the project cost would be given as grant by the Centre and only the remaining 20 per cent had to be shared by the State Government and the urban local body.

The twin cities would get generous treatment as far as extending financial assistance under UIDSMT was concerned and meanwhile efforts would be on to include the twin cities under the major cities section of JNNURM, he said. The Union Minister had said he had told Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy during his meeting with him to send a detailed project reports for the twin cities, which would be processed after receiving it.

Later explaining the need for video recording the statement of Mr. Jaipal Reddy, the former mayor and president of the Horata Samiti (a non-political association), Anilkumar Patil, said the samiti thought it would be appropriate to get his clear statement in the wake of reports in the media. Mr. Patil appealed to the State Government to immediately send a proposal in this regard.