U'khand invites fresh bids for developing Naini-Saini airport

The Uttarakhand State Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (USIDCL) on Sunday invited fresh bids for the development of Naini-Saini Airport in the hilly district of Pithoragarh.

The expressions of interest (EoIs) were invited for expanding and strengthening the runway, upgrading other related operational infrastructure and terminal facilities at the airport, which has not been operational for years now.

Earlier, the government wanted to invest Rs 45 crore for the upgrade and modernisation of the airport, which would be developed on the public-private partnership (PPP) basis.

Last year, the airport upgrade had hit a roadblock after the government cancelled the tender process for hiring a private design consultancy firm on technical grounds, said Chief Secretary Indu Kumar Pande.

Later, the state government decided to hand over the airport upgrade responsibility to the USIDCL, which was set up in 2008. The civil aviation department had invited tenders the design of the airport. The government was zeroing on RITES, a central government enterprise which provides comprehensive engineering, consultancy and project management services in the transport infrastructure sector under a single roof.

Airport Planner and Design, a private company, raised objections over the tender procedure, saying it quoted lower rates than RITES and said to challenge move legally and the government cancelled the process.

The government has so far spent Rs 22-24 crore for the acquiring 17.8 hectares of land for the airport, where 85 people have been given compensation.

Under the modernisation plan, the airstrip would be made 1,650 metre long and 60 metre wide along with a separate terminal.