BANGALORE, January 22: The much-delayed international airport project at Devanahalli near here has been approved under certain conditions including that it would be established under joint venture, Civil Aviation Minister C M Ibrahim announced today.The proposal would come up before the union cabinet in a day or two, the minister told reporters here. The other conditions were that owners of land acquired for the airport be given market rate, the existing Bangalore airport not be closed and that the project be implemented as a time-bound programme, he said.
Ibrahim said the Tata consortium had now agreed to establish the project as a JV under which it would come up on `build own operate and transfer (BOOT)' basis. He claimed that the project was delayed because Tatas took a long time to take up the project under a joint venture.
Answering persistent queries regarding the allegation by former state industries minister R V Deshpande that Ibrahim wanted to scuttle the project, he admitted that he was
responsible for the delay. However, in the same breath, he hastened to add that he was responsible for converting it from `build, own and operate' system to the `BOOT' one and to ensure that land owners got market price.
Regarding the clause that the existing Bangalore airport would not be closed, Ibrahim said a committee would take a suitable action if the new international airport does not become viable by then.
The minister sharply criticised Deshpande, accusing him of doing nothing regarding Hassan, Hubli, Belgaum and Mangalore airports. Deshpande had not bothered about other airport projects and had even kept the Chief Minister J H Patel in the dark. He showed extra keenness only in the Bangalore project, he alleged. The minister reiterated that no foreign airline would be allowed to operate domestic flights in the country.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
