As private companies have not paid rental amount totalling more than ₹4 crore for utilising services and space at the Government Flying Training School (GFTS) aerodrome at Jakkur in the city, the government has decided to serve notices to them to recover the dues.
A decision has also been taken to revise rentals based on the charges levied in other flying training school aerodromes in the country.
Minister for Youth Empowerment, Sports and Planning K.C. Narayana Gowda, who reviewed the progress of various schemes of the department, has taken officials to task for not recovering the dues and instructed them to take legal action.
The companies include National Aerospace Laboratories (₹70,365), Jupiter Aviation (₹ 31,73,215), Deccan Charters Ltd (₹ 2,87,72,298), and Agni Aerosports Adventure Academy Hangar-1 (₹ 42,16,881) and Hangar- II (₹ 42,16,881). The Minister told officials to recover dues with 18% rate of interest.
The aerodrome is spread over 214 acres and the premises included facilities for flight training, and area leased to private parties for hangars, maintenance activities and other common facilities such as airstrip and fuel station.
The Minister conducted a review meeting three months ago and told the officials to collect the rents from private firms. As it was not done, he warned officials that he would take action against them if they failed discharge their duties.
No NoCs
As per the guidelines of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), structures around the flying school have to be constructed with certain heights and owners of buildings have to obtain no-objection certificate from the school. Since many building owners have not received no-objection certificates, the Minister instructed the officials to conduct a survey of buildings that have not received NoCs.
Additional Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh told officials that government agencies have to conduct the survey of buildings and not private parties. Moreover, the survey has to be completed in 15 days.
She also said the government had lost revenue owing to the low rental charges fixed at the aerodrome and asked the department officials to fix rents based on the charges fixed at other flying school aerodromes in the country.
Reopening in August
The Minister said the GFTS remained closed for the past three years and asked officials to recruit faculty members for reopening the school in August. Capt. Kamal Kishore has been appointed as the chief faculty member.
Reopening of the school would help 45 students whose training was not completed. A new batch of students would be given admissions in August, the Minister said after the review meeting.
