Badal seeks PM’s help for Central nod to aerotropolis

New Delhi: Punjab chief minister Prakash Singh Badal has sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s help to secure the Centre’s approval for setting up an aerotropolis, or an airport city, near Ludhiana. The project is estimated to cost about Rs 25,000 crore. An aerotropolis is a city developed around an airport — like Changi airport in Singapore and Beijing capital international airport in China — focused on aviation-related businesses.
“Bengal Aerotropolis Project (BAPL), who is the promoter of this project, had made a presentation to me, subsequent to which a memorandum of understanding has been signed with Punjab State Industrial Development Corp (PSIDC) on May 23 for the development of this aerotropolis,” Mr Badal told the prime minister in a letter.
BAPL has already submitted its proposal to the civil aviation ministry for approval. “Through this letter, I place before you the request of Punjab state for an expeditious clearance of this project,” the letter says. According to the Centre’s new greenfield airport policy, the ministry of civil aviation is the nodal agency for giving clearances for construction of any aerotropolis project.
“As the proposed site for the airport city is in close proximity to the armed force base, the proposal is currently under consideration of the defence ministry,” a civil aviation ministry official, who did not wish to be named, said.
26/12/08 Nirbhay Kumar & Rajeev Jayaswal/Economic Times

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Categories: Airports Dec 2008, New Dec 2008