The Hindu : Karnataka News : Pacts on airport project in 60 days

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 15, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Pacts on airport project in 60 days

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JULY 14. The Industries Minister, P.G.R. Sindhia, said today that all the agreements between various parties on the Devanahalli International Airport would be signed within 60 days, after which the construction work would begin.

Addressing presspersons here, he said that the agreements on air-traffic-control clearance, the compensation to be paid to the HAL airport, the financial closure agreement between the ICICI and Bangalore International Airport Limited, and the agreement with the Defence authorities not to use the Yelahanka airbase for sorties would be signed in the next two months. Work on extending the runway of the Mangalore Airport would start on July 31. The Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Praful Patel, would lay the foundation stone for the project, which would be completed in 13 months.

The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, and the Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, would participate in the function. The State Government had already given 116 hectares of land for the extension of the runway.

Mr. Sindhia said that he had requested Mr. Patel to set up an airport in Hassan which would cater to the needs of tourists and entrepreneurs starting units in the special economic zone there. The State Government had already earmarked 116 hectares of land for the airport and an additional 900 hectares for the special economic zone (SEZ). He said that the Government had requested the Union Industries Minister to establish more SEZs in the State.

Investors' meet: The Special Commissioner of the Australian province of Queensland, Mike Ahern, today met Mr. Sindhia and held discussions on organising an investors' meet on sectors such as tourism, information technology, biotechnology, agriculture, mining, transport infrastructure, fiscal reforms and urban development. A technical committee comprising four persons each from Queensland and Karnataka would be formed, and with the exception of the chairman, all the others would be local people. The names of members would be announced, he added.

Mr. Sindhia said that the Ministry of External Affairs had permitted the Queensland Government to set up a trade centre in Bangalore. Mr. Sindhia and Mr. Ahern signed a memorandum of understanding on the meet.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka