New Delhi: A "drastic cut" in the budgetary support to Airports Authority of India would adversely hit ongoing airport modernisation projects, especially those in the Northeast, a parliamentary committee has said.
The committee also came down heavily on the Planning Commission for introducing a new procedure requiring additional approvals for all projects mentioned in the Plan, saying this was acting as an "impediment" and delaying construction of new airports and other crucial infrastructure projects.
The Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, in its report tabled in Parliament, said the allocation to AAI, which was Rs 280 crore in the 2012-13 budget, has been reduced to Rs 42 crore in 2013-14. Of this, Rs 32 crore was meant for construction of an airport in Pakyong (Sikkim) and the remainder for upgrading the Tirupati Airport.
05/05/13 PTI/Business Standard
