If at least four non-metro airport projects in the eastern region have been pushed back, it?s not because of financial constraints, but due to delays by the contractor, protracted paper work and land allocation hiccups.
??The eastern region is not facing any financial constraints,?? said PK Singhal, Airports Authority of India eastern region executive director.
The civil aviation mid-year review noted that as many as 35 non-metro airports are being affected because of the cost crunch.
In the region, the contractor to land hurdles is putting Raipur, Ranchi, Malda and Bhubaneswar projects on the backburner for several reasons for delays.
??However, the Cooch Behar project is complete and we hope to start operations by February 1 with East-West Shuttle,?? said Singhal. Also on track is the Rs 2000-crore Netaji Subhash Chandra Basu International airport modernisation project. ??The first phase will be over by August 2011,?? said airport director R Srinivasan.
The Bhubaneswar terminal building contract has been awarded and construction will start in a month?s time. The project has been delayed by a year because of the tender process. The contracting agency has been delaying the Raipur project, admitted Singhal.
??There is no progress on the Malda project as the West Bengal government is unable to allocate the required land. So, it?s just on paper,?? he added. Decline in air traffic and aircraft movement are behind AAI?s fund crunch.
The AAI had in early 2009, after receiving mini-ratna status in December 2008, put non-metro projects on the fast track.
The authority made expenditure layout of Rs 12,434.34 crore during the 11th Plan period for airport infrastructure. Out of this, Rs 6,443.53 crore is reserved for developing non-metro airports andRs 5990.81 crore has been allotted for metro and other private/greenfield airports.
AAI is staring at a revenue deficit of Rs 5,000 crore because of the slowdown in the aviation sector and has decided to borrow Rs 1,200 crore from banks in the present fiscal.
