Cuts in civil aviation outlay to hit NE projects

New Delhi: Drastic cuts in the Plan outlay of the Civil Aviation Ministry by the Planning Commission may ground several on-going projects in the north-eastern region (NER) including the ambitious project to bring Sikkim on the air map of the country. The annual Plan outlay proposed by the Civil Aviation Ministry was pegged at Rs 10,170.27 crore, including budgetary support of Rs 328.94 crore. Against this projection, the Planning Commission approved an outlay of Rs 10,031 crore for the current fiscal (2008-2009).
Civil Aviation Ministry officials have confirmed that the cuts would hit the proposed Greenfield Airport Project at Pekyong, Sikkim, as the approved budgetary support component of Rs 190 crore does not include any outlay of Rs 45 crore proposed to be given as grant for the project.
A Parliamentary panel that examined the demands for grants for the Civil Aviation Ministry has said that the reduction in budgetary support to the Ministry would definitely have a negative impact on the expansion of aviation sector in the north-eastern region.
02/05/08 Assam Tribune

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Categories: Airports May 2008, Indian Aviation- In General May 2008