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| Chennai, Kolkata airports` revamp to begin in Sept |
| Press Trust Of India / New Delhi Aug 12, 2008, 05:55 IST |
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Work on modernisation of Kolkata and Chennai airports will start next month, soon after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs clears these projects.
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, announcing this here, said trial runs on the third runway of Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport would begin in ten days. The runway would considerably ease congestion over the Delhi airspace.
The plans for Kolkata and Chennai airports have been cleared by the Public Investment Board and detailed project reports submitted to the government for approval, Patel has told the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his ministry.
The airports, according to the recommendations of the respective state governments, would be developed by the state-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) and not privatised.
Patel told the members of the committee that a group of ministers was looking into the legalities of building a second airport in Delhi in view of the agreements the government has signed with the GMR-led consortium to modernise IGI Airport, an official spokesperson said.
Patel said the fuel costs had started affecting the industry. The base price of aviation turbine fuel in India was high primarily due to subsidisation of other petroleum products, he said, adding that the high taxes levied on jet fuel by the state governments compounded the problem.
Informing the committee that he had raised the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Patel said a panel headed by the cabinet secretary had been constituted to examine the problems faced by the industry.
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