Three major projects to be inaugrated by PM

25 September 2009

Three major projects in the city, two public and one private, could formally see the light of the day with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurating them anytime after November 15. These include the dedication of the new integrated terminal building of the Bajpe Airport, the formal dedication of Mangalore Special Economic Zone and the dedication of the new campus of St Aloysius College at Beeri near here.

In an informal chat with a select group of journalists after inspecting the ongoing work at the new integrated terminal building of the airport, Union Minister for law and justice M Veerappa Moily said, "I am trying to tie up few more projects for their formal dedication by the PM and this will happen anytime after November 15." Moily expressed satisfaction at the ongoing pace of works at the new integrated terminal building.

Necessary steps will be taken to declare the Mangalore Airport an international airport before the PM formally dedicates it to the nation, Moily said. The Bajpe airport at present is a customs airport and handles international flights, primarily to destinations in the Middle East. Incidentally, a team from Central Electricity Authority headed by its chief engineer Thakral too inspected the airport as part of statutory requirement on Thursday.

90% of works on new terminal complete

V N Chandran, the airport director said 90 per cent of works pertaining to the new integrated terminal building are complete or under the control of AAI. "The remaining 10 per cent of work pertains to immigration clearances, which the authorities concerned have taken up with their headquarters," Chandran said, adding that, "We are in constant touch with those concerned to expedite all necessary clearances in this regard."

Chandran, also utilized the visit of Moily to the city to update him on various issues pertaining to the airport in general, and the new integrated terminal building in particular. These include construction of a new approach road towards Dakkan Park side to be taken up by the state government as it did on the east side where KUIDFC constructed the road as a precursor to development of airport infrastructure.

The director also impressed on Moily the need to acquire the Dakkan Park building land abutting the new terminal building and spread over 3.21 acres as it posed a problem to the AAI - both for operational and security reasons. Noting that big fuel tankers are not able to move on the existing road to the terminal building, he said a new road with flat slope, and minus the curves of the new road should be built outside the airport premises.

On a move to increase the viability of the airport, Chandran said there is a need to request Air India Express to operate additional international flights and increase the frequency of existing flights. Chandran told the minister that there is demand for daily flights to Jeddah, Riyadh, and Sharjah. He also suggested that the Thokur railway station on the Konkan railway route be shifted to Maravoor, closer to the new terminal building.

source times of india