Ktk govt to ask GMR to withdraw objections on Bidar airport

B D Narayankar reports

 Bangalore, Apr 24 (PTI) Karnataka Infrastructure Minister
Roshan Baig today said he would be holding talks with the GMR
Group during his visit to Delhi on April 29 to ask them to
withdraw their objection to operation of facilities available
at Bidar airport.
        "I will try to convince them to lift their objections
against operation of facilities available at Bidar airport,"
he told reporters here.
        The GMR Group had objected to the operation of facilities
at Bidar airport in northern tip of Karnataka citing distance
factor from Hyderabad Airport, Baig said.
        He also said the state government was ready to hand over
maintenance and operation of Bidar Civilian Airport facilities
to the GMR Group, which operates Rajiv Gandhi International
Airport in Hyderabad. "We are ready to hand over maintenance
and operation of Bidar Airport facilities to them," he said.
        He also said he would meet officials of the Civil Aviation
Department, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and
Defence Ministry in this regard and also on the issue of
improving air connectivity across the state.
        The terminal building at Bidar airport is ready and the
government had obtained the clearance from the Civil Aviation
Department and the Defence Ministry had cleared the proposal
to use the runway and other facilities at the Indian Air Force
station on the outskirts of Bidar, Baig said.
        Similarly, government has initiated the process to acquire
84 acres of additional land to expand Mysore airport to tap
the city's tourism potential and attract investment, Baig
said.
        The government has asked the National Highways Authority
of India (NHAI) to start upgradation works of a stretch of NH
212 next to the workable airport sparing chunk of land needed
for the airport expansion, Baig said.
        The Airport Authority of India, which has reserved funds
for expansion of the airport, had reportedly made it clear to
the government that it will not take up works to expand the
airport until Mysore-Nanjangud stretch is realigned.
        He also said the dream of air connectivity for citizens
of Gulbarga will be fulfilled soon as the bickering amongst
the partners of the joint venture company Regional Airport
Holdings International (Rahi) and IL&FS, had been solved. "Now
IL&FS has agreed to complete the project."
        One of the partners had initiated legal action against the
other for refusing to participate in board meetings since
February 2012, thereby blocking all attempts to raise the much
needed capital to complete the project, Baig said.
        Rahi was granted the lead role to develop, finance and
build the Gulbarga airport through a government order on
February 18, 2010.