According to a PTI report, at a meeting held yesterday at the Vidhan Bhavan, which was initiated by Speaker of Legislative Council, Babasaheb Kupekar a decision was taken that the State Government will modernise and expand the Kolhapur Airport on Build Operate and Transport (BOT) basis. Vilasrao Deshmukh, Chief Minister, Maharashtra assured that the government will provide fund for the land acquisition process.
According to Harshwardhan Patil, Guardian Minister of Kolhapur, the initial plans of modernisation of the airport will include the expansion of the existing runway from 1,600 metres to 1,900 metres. He informed that the government is also toying with the idea to start night landing facility at the airport. “For the expansion 232 hectare land is required and the government is offering Rs 52 lakh per hectare,” informed Patil. He further stated that during the meeting there was a suggestion to give the modernisation project to the Airport Authority of India (AAI), as earlier the land had been leased to Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation(MIDC) till 2012. |