Bihar not to provide land for new airport

Patna: In a development that would cause consternation among air travellers flying into and out of Patna, the Bihar government on Tuesday expressed its inability to provide land for a new airport in the city.
Described as one of the country's riskiest airports, Patna's Jaya Prakash Narain International Airport has a runway length that is far shorter than the required length for safe landing and takeoff. While the Union civil aviation ministry a few days ago threatened to shut the `unsafe' airport, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had earlier moved a proposal to develop a new airport with a longer runway if the state government provided 1000 acres of land for the same.
"Though the Patna airport has less operational area, it is not possible for the state government to procure and develop such a huge plot of land for which at least Rs 5,000 crore is needed,'' chief minister Nitish Kumar said and added the state government cannot afford to allocate such a huge sum by curtailing other expenditures needed for the development of the state.
Addressing a Haj conference in the city, the CM said aviation is a Central subject and the state government can only make available certain facilities.
11/08/10 Madhuri Kumar/Times of India

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: airports aug 2010, New Aug 2010