Kolkata airport development plans get PIB clearance

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) The development plans of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata today got an unconditional Pre-Investment Board (PIB) clearance.

It will now go for the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, and work is expected to begin in two-months time, a Civil Aviation Ministry release said.

The Government had decided in April last year that the Kolkata airport would be developed to international standards by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

In August, the AAI submitted the proposal for PIB approval.

In October, an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) cleared the proposal and in December, the Planning Commission accorded the in-principle approval for the development of the Airport.

The Ministry for Environment gave approval to the project in March this year.

Meanwhile, AAI prepared detailed estimates and tendered documents.

The existing international terminal has a capacity of 0.882 million passengers and existing domestic terminal 4.06 million passengers.

The new integrated passenger terminal will add a capacity of 20 million passengers.

The construction is expected to be completed in 30 months time and the process of development is expected to be over in 2011.

The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 1,942.5 crore, of which about Rs 1,600 crore will be required for the construction of the new integrated building.

UNI YJ SYU HS1948