Civil aviation ministry, Mah govt moot plans to airlink major dists

Mumbai, Apr 5: The Maharashtra government and the civil aviation ministry are considering a proposal to air link all the 35 district headquarters through an air service, operating 40-seater aircraft, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh informed the Legislative Council today.

Replying to a question of Mr Sanjay Dutt (Cong) and others on whether the government had plans to have airports in all the 35 district headquarters and link them by air service to boost industrialisation and development, Mr Deshmukh said the airport at Nanded will be completed by 2008.

He further said the government is of the view that airports should be constructed at Latur, Akola, Solapur, Kolhapur and Alibaug.

Earlier, Minister of State for Urban Development Rajesh Tope said there are airstrips at 24 places in the State and added that Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation would look into the feasibility if airports could be constructed there.

Former Maharahtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi had also announced a similar plan to airlink all the districts in Maharashtra in 1996.

UNI