COMMENTARY
INTERVIEWS
SPECIALS
CHAT
ARCHIVES

Airport issue: Ball's in Tata's court, says minister

The Centre is awaiting a reply from the Tatas on the proposed international airport project at Devanahalli, near Bangalore, Civil Aviation Minister Ananth Kumar said.

Participating in an interactive session with representatives of the Confederation of Indian Industry along with Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha in Bangalore, Kumar said he held discussions with Tata group chairman Ratan Tata and Karnataka Chief Minister J H Patel on the project.

Tata had told him he would get back after taking it up with the consortium partners. Prime Minister A B Vajpayee was interested in implementing the project at the earliest, Kumar, the MP from Bangalore South, added.

Replying to a question, he said the Centre had already sanctioned Rs 350 million for the existing airport in Bangalore and the new terminal would be commissioned by January.

He said the state government had agreed to release 120 hectares of land for setting up an airport near Mysore. He had sent an expert team to study the feasibilty of the project and its report was being processed, he added.

UNI