‘HAL airport closure not in public interest’

‘HAL airport closure not in public interest’
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: Bangalore City Connect (BCC), a citizens’ forum comprising industry leaders, experts and the public, lashed out at the centre’s decision of closing down HAL airport, terming it a case of public interest versus private profit.
“The centre’s decision is anti-constitutional and anti-growth,” said BCC members. However, they welcomed the opening of Bengaluru International Airport (BIA).
“We cannot afford to close down existing infrastructure when we know that Bangalore is heading towards a serious infrastructure lacuna,” said Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, CMD, Biocon and member of BCC.
Reacting to concerns over the negative impact that will arise if the centre were to renegotiate with BIAL, Mazumdar said, “The government entered into a contract based on circumstances relevant at that point in time. If you look at the situation today, there is a radical shift in each and every parameter of that contract.”
Fellow member V Ravichander rebuffed criticism about renegotiations, saying: “When the global tender was floated for building a new airport in Bangalore, nowhere did it mention that HAL airport has to be closed. Only after months of ‘negotiations ‘ with the centre, did the ‘no airport within 150 km’ law come into effect.”
Citing yet another violation by the government, former chief secretary, government of Karnataka, said: “The centre’s decision is without a popular state government in place. Decisions on whether Bangalore should have two airports or one should be made once a new popular government is elected.”
Further, with the Karnataka Information Commission passing a landmark judgment terming BIAL as a ‘public authority’, BCC members have filed an RTI petition seeking details on the two meetings held between the civil aviation ministry and BIAL stakeholders.
The petition seeks details concerning the number of meetings held between the government and BIAL, the dates on which and the time at which these meetings were held, the duration of each meeting, names of all the persons who attended the meetings, copies of the minutes and written proposals exchanged at the meetings and proposals put forth by the Union of India and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) during any negotiations that may have taken place.