Coal India opposes Aerotropolis

Coal India Limited (CIL) has opposed the country's first Aerotropolis (integrated airport township project) to be set up by Bengal Aerotropolis Pvt Ltd (BAPL) and WBIDC at a cost of Rs 10,000 crore at Andal in Burdwan in West Bengal.

CIL has asked for a 15 kilometre southward shifting of the project over its existing mineable reserves, on which the project was supposed to come up in the Asansol-Durgapur coal belt.

CIL subsidiary, Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) has submitted its final report opposing the project and recommending its shifting after a survey of the mineable reserves and proposed airport site.

The public sector coal company has 1400 million tonnes of mineable reserves of high grade B and D coal valued at Rs 2.35 lakh crore spread over 3500 acres of land and has been opposing the project to save its reserves.

CMPDI said, the aerotropolis project has to be shifted across the Damodar river to keep away from CIL's high grade underground coal reserves in the area.

According CIL chairman Partha S Bhattacharya, " the CMPDI report recommends 15 kms southward shifting of the aerotropolis project. Now it is for the union and state government to decide the fate of the project". Bhattacharya has submitted copies of the CMPDI report to A K Deb, the chief secretary of West Bengal and union aviation ministry.

The project is hanging fire for almost a year.

ECL has lease holds over 350 million tonne of reserves and 1050 million tonnes are free holding. Remunerative mines like Moira and Sundargarh will be adversely affected by the project.

The CMPDI report said, if the BAPL-WBIDC joint project is shifted it will not disturb the energy security of the country. CIL is currently confronted with a huge coal shortage of around 200 million tonnes during the 11th Plan and is planning an import.

The West Bengal government is also apprehended to lose about Rs 50,000 crore of cess over the next 30 years if the project comes up on CIL's mineable reserves.

BAPL, a special purpose vehicle ( SPV) signed a MoU with WBIDC for setting up India's first airport city project in January 2008. The consortium includes WBIDC, ADDA, Pragati Social Infrastructure and Development ( a JV between Pragati 47 and HUDCO), City Star Infrastructure and Land Lease.

While WBIDC will hold 11 per cent in the proposed project, Pragati Social will have 45 per cent and the remaining 44 per cent will go to City Star Infrastructure and Land Lease Company (India) Ltd.

Airport Authority of India ( AAI) promised technical support for the project. The BAPL-WBIDC JV has also plans tie up with Changi Airports of Singapore for technical supplies. The aviation side of the project will have cargo, supply chain and logistic hub with maintenance repair and night parking facilities.

An aviation academy is also proposed to be set up at the site. The non-aviation part comprises integrated facilities for hi-tech enterprises, standard design factories, IT park, housing, hospital, school, theme park and commercial centre.