Selloff on Hassan, not Shimoga

At a time when states are out to cash in on the aviation boom, the Karnataka government is looking the other way. At least when it comes to the Hassan airport project.
The State Public Works Department (PWD) has awarded the Hassan airport project at a throwaway price of Rs 1,100 per acre per annum lease rent — around 10 and 15 times lesser when compared to the Shimoga and Gulbarga airport projects.
The PWD, which is the nodal agency for developing the Hassan airport, in its order dated July 12, 2007 has allotted 960 acres of land in Hassan to the project promoter, Jupiter Aviation and Logistics Limited, on a 30-year lease for the aerodrome. In other words, the government will get a mere Rs 10,56,000 per annum as lease rent from the project promoter, according to documents available with Deccan Herald.
Jupiter Aviation, the private player in the airport project, is owned by Member of Parliament Rajiv Chandrashekar, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha with more than a little help from JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda. The land was acquired by the government from farmers and leased out to the promoter.
Now, a quick look at the lease rent from the Shimoga and Gulbarga projects. While the Shimoga airport spread over 662 acres fetches the government Rs 1.3 crore every year at the rate of Rs 20,232 per acre per annum, the 567-acre Gulbarga one earns Rs 85.05 lakh at Rs 15,111 per acre per annum.
28/11/07 P M Raghunandan/Deccan Herald

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Categories: Airports Nov 2007, New Nov 2007