Govt to sell 'sick' airport

Hyderabad: Contrary to its earlier plans to convert the Begumpet airport into a training centre or a remote check-in point for travellers once the Shamshabad airport becomes functional, the state government is now toying with the idea of developing, leasing or even selling it after the airport shuts shop in mid-March.
According to sources, the state government is figuring out the total land that comes under the airport and is determining ownership details of this land. The land is worth thousands of crores in the present market situation.
About 2,000 acres of land comes under the Begumpet airport and the government has sought "full details" about this land from the Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district collectors. While a major chunk of this airport land falls in Hyderabad, an estimated 700 acres is in RR district. Part of Begumpet airport stretches to RR district (from Bowenpally side) and comes under village called Begumpet in Balanagar mandal.
Sources say the government wants to determine "the nature of the ownership of the land" and whether it was initially government land that was given to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and if so what were the conditions laid at that point of time.
26/12/07 Roli Srivastava/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Dec 2007