Aviation Security Being Spruced Up

The Union Budget 1998-99 provides for setting up the bureau of civil aviation security, a token equity injection of Rs 5 crore for Air India, a 60 per cent increase in the subsidy for Haj charters and budgetary support for the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to upgrade Amritsar and Auranagabad airports and airports in North East.

This is other than providing a plan spending of Rs 125 crore for IA in the form of equity injection.

The total outlay for the civil aviation sector has increased to Rs 2,185 crore in Budget 1998-99, up from Rs 1,594 crore in the revised estimate of 1997-98.

 

This is both on account of a rise in plan outlay through increased investment in public enterprises and increased internal extra budgetary resources.

While the former has gone up from Rs 22 crore in 1997-98 to Rs 218 crore in 1998-99, the IEBR and non plan expenditure is up from Rs 1571 crore in 1997-98 to Rs 1967 crore in 1998-99.

The Budget has also increased the subsidy provision meant for payment of subsidy to Air India for operation of Haj charters.

This has been increased from Rs 76 crore in the revised estimates of 1997-98 to Rs 122 crore in 1998-99.

Further, budgetary support has been given to AAI for upgrading Amritsar and Aurangabad airports and for providing operational improvements in various airports in the North East region.

India airlines has been given Rs 125 crore under the Plan head for strengthening its capital base by injection of government equity in line with the Kelkar committee recommendations. Air India has been given an token equity amount of Rs 5 crore.

The non plan expenditure of Indian airlines is placed at Rs 505 crore in 1998-99 against Rs 476 crore in the revised estimate of 1997-98. This has declined in the case of Air India from Rs 608 crore in 1997-98 to Rs 597 crore in 1998-99. Interestingly, the revised estimate of IEBR in the case of Air India (Rs 608 crore) represents a sharp fall over the budget estimate of 1997-98 of Rs 1233 crore.

Non plan expenditure in the case of Pawan Hans has gone up to Rs 90 crore in the budget estimate of 1998-99, up from Rs 30 crore in the revised estimate for last year.

The non plan expenditure of Indian airlines is placed at Rs 505 crore in 1998-99 against Rs 476 crore in the revised estimate of 1997-98. This has declined in the case of Air India from Rs 608 crore in 1997-98 to Rs 597 crore in 1998-99. Interestingly, the revised estimate of IEBR in the case of Air India (Rs 608 crore) represents a sharp fall over the budget estimate of 1997-98 of Rs 1233 crore.

Non plan expenditure in the case of Pawan Hans has gone up to Rs 90 crore in the budget estimate of 1998-99, up from Rs 30 crore in the revised estimate for last year.