BIA UNDER SCANNER

BIA UNDER SCANNER
Joint management by Centre, state?
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: The Joint House Committee of the state legislature, set up to examine the working of Bengaluru International Airport, will not only probe lapses by the BIAL, but also explore the possibility of joint management of the airport by the central and state governments.
One of the terms of reference of the probe states: “Examine the financial implications if the agreement is cancelled and the airport is jointly managed by the Centre and state.’’
The committee headed by D Hemachandra Sagar held its first meeting on Saturday. Infrastructure secretary Aravind Jadhav and two representatives of BIAL participated. The committee has 20 members, 14 from the legislative assembly and six from the council.
The committee will study the entire project in detail, examine allegations of violations of the original agreement, inferior quality and inadequate infrastructure, identify persons responsible for the mistakes, and suggest solutions to upgrade the airport to international standards.
Sagar said BIAL availed all facilities from the government but failed to deliver the goods. He said the committee will visit other international airports for a comparative study. He directed officials to furnish all the documents pertaining to the project.
The committee is reviewing the following aspects
Total investment by Centre and state government; the state’s investment in providing roads, water, electricity and communication facilities Interest-free loan given to BIAL, details of guarantee and tax exemption Total expenditure Approved map, quality, traffic arrangements Reports of Centre and AAI Share capital Facilities provided to passengers, transporters, pilots, administrative and maintenance staff How much of the 4,000 acres of land is utilized and how much can be taken back Why did the project cost escalate from Rs 1,350 crore to Rs 2,700 crore Proposed construction of additional terminal Facilities for VIPs, protocol staff and visitors Financial implications if agreement is cancelled and airport taken over jointly by Centre and state Taxi services and shops entrusted to people from outside the state MoU and all agreements with different agencies