New aviation policy by April, says Praful Patel
Thursday, 28 February 2008, 16:59 IST
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Kolkata: Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel Wednesday said the government would come out with a new set of guidelines for the aviation industry by April. The new policy will enable a single-window clearance under the ministry of civil aviation, which will then act as a nodal agency for all aviation projects, Patel said. "The strategy has been finalised and now the approval of the cabinet is required. The process of setting up any new project will then become very easy. Licensing and government permission will not take much time after the new policy is announced," he said. Patel was speaking at a function to announce the tie-up with Singapore's Changi Airport for an upcoming airport at Andal, about 190 km from here, in Burdwan district's Durgapur industrial belt. The airport will be part of India's first "aerotropolis" (airport city), coming up in Dugrapur. The minister also announced that the Kolkata airport modernisation project is on track and tenders will be floated soon. On the non-functional airports in India, he said the ministry would soon come out with a list of 40-45 airports, which are not operational. "The government wants more and more private projects to build up airport infrastructure," he said and invited private companies to invest in the sector. "India needs aviation infrastructure not just at the metros, but also in smaller towns," he said.
Source: IANS
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