Mumbai: At a time when the Congress-NCP could have used government funds to uniformly develop airports across the state, NCP leader Praful Patel, as the then aviation minister, chose to spend `200 crore on building an airport in his hometown, Gondia in Vidarbha that witnesses no footfalls; alleged a senior bureaucrat from the general administration department.
Mr Patel however refuted the claim and said that building an airport in Gondia was itself an example of development in a remote place. He denied that the airport has remained idle.
The senior bureaucrat claimed that when Mr Patel was the Union aviation minister, he used his power to develop the Gondia airport. “Mr Patel in his power spent more than `200 crore to develop the Gondia airport; the airstrip was extended. Gondia airport is developed in such a way that it can compete with Mumbai airport,” he said. “Mr Patel had to develop other airports uniformly which would have been useful for the state. The Gondia airport is lying idle these days. Who will go to a tribal area?” he questioned.
11/08/15 Vivek Bhavsar/Asian Age
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Mr Patel however refuted the claim and said that building an airport in Gondia was itself an example of development in a remote place. He denied that the airport has remained idle.
The senior bureaucrat claimed that when Mr Patel was the Union aviation minister, he used his power to develop the Gondia airport. “Mr Patel in his power spent more than `200 crore to develop the Gondia airport; the airstrip was extended. Gondia airport is developed in such a way that it can compete with Mumbai airport,” he said. “Mr Patel had to develop other airports uniformly which would have been useful for the state. The Gondia airport is lying idle these days. Who will go to a tribal area?” he questioned.
11/08/15 Vivek Bhavsar/Asian Age
