Monday, July 28, 2014

Govt aims to develop 5 airports, award contracts

New Delhi: The civil aviation ministry will start the development of five no-frills airports and award management contracts of four airports to private operators in the current financial year. The targets were set in a meeting between secretaries of ministries and Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Saturday.

Planning Commission Secretary Sindhushree Khullar coordinated the meeting attended by secretaries from the railways, road transport and highways, civil aviation, power, coal, renewable energy, ports and shipping, telecommunications, petroleum and natural gas ministries and the PM.

A ministry official said, "The outlay for the civil aviation sector has been increased 66 per cent. It was decided to start work on five of 50 low-cost airports. The locations are yet to be finalised. We have decided to award management contracts in at least four of six airports to private operators, processes for which were started last year."

The year’s outlay for the civil aviation ministry is Rs 934 crore.

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had last year started the process to award management contracts at airports in Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Guwahati, Jaipur and Ahmedabad to private operators. The process had to be stalled earlier this year due to Assembly elections.
28/07 14 Business Standard
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