Karnataka: Land allotments for Shimoga, Gulbarga airports annulled.

The State Cabinet has annulled land allotments for Shimoga and Gulbarga airports.

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meet, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister TB Jayachandra said the government had decided to annul the land allotments because of 'indifference and infighting' among the promoters.

The State had signed an agreement to build airports at Shimoga and Gulbarga on BOT basis with a consortium of Maytas Infra Ltd. (Now IL&FS Engineering and Construction Company Ltd., NCC Infrastructure Holdings Ltd. (NCC) and VIE India Project Development and Holding.

For the Shimoga airport, the government had acquired 662.38 acres of land. For Gulbarga airport, the government had acquired 567 acres of land and leased it to the joint venture firms for a period of 30 years.

The airport was conceived in 2007 and was to be built on a BOT basis. The concession period was 30 years with the option of extension for another 30 years.

'Now with the annulment of land allotment, the government is planning to approach AAI to take the projects forward,' said Jayachandra.

Two special purpose companies (SPC) by name Shimoga Airport Developers Pvt Ltd. (SADPL) and Gulbarga Airport Developers Pvt Ltd. (GADPL) were established to execute the project with Karnataka Infrastructure Development Department (IDD).


HBL