Screening Committee approves four greenfield airports for Karnataka

New Delhi, June 13 (UNI) The first meeting of the Steering Committee on Greenfield airports today granted its 'in-principle' approval for four greenfield airports for Karnataka.

These airports projects are Gulbarga, Bijapur, Hassan and Shimoga and the approval was subject to the conditions that Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) would be formalised between Director General of Civil Aviation, Airports Authority of India and Defence Ministry regarding the air space management for airports at Gulbarga and Bijapur in view of existing defence operations at Pune and Bidar, an official release said.

The meeting chaired by Mr Ashok Chawla, Secretary of Ministry of Civil Aviation also decided that the progress of the project after grant of 'in principle' approval would be monitored by the Steering Committee and if adequate progress in implementation of the project was not made within 12 months from grant of the 'in principle', the approval would be withdrawn, official sources said.

The Screening Committee also discussed in detail the format for applications for Greenfield airports and decided that the three-stage approval process would be followed for future clearances.

In the first stage, the proposal would be considered for the site clearance by the Steering Committee based on the suitability of the location identified and the air space management. This clearance would be granted within 3 months of the application being made.

Once an applicant has the site clearance, it could proceed with project preparation exercise involving the preparation of Detailed Project Report, acquisition/buying of land, etc. Once the proposal got formalised, an application to the Steering committee would be made for granting 'in principle' approval to the project.

After seeking the 'in principle' approval of the Steering Committee the applicant would approach the DGCA for a licence which would comprise of the last stage of approval for setting up of the project, sources said.

The Screening Committee was constituted in April this year to coordinate and monitor the setting up of Greenfield airports.

Besides Mr Chawla, representatives of Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Department of Economic Affairs, Department of Revenue, Planning Commission, Indian Meteorological Department, Airport Authority and DGCA figure are in the Committee.

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