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Runway expansion work at Puducherry airport to be completed by September

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

MONITORING PROGRESS: Tourism Minister Malladi Krishna Rao inspecting the runway expansion work in Puducherry on Saturday.

PUDUCHERRY: The work to expand the runway of the Puducherry airport here to operate bigger aircraft will be completed by September-end, according to Tourism Minister Malladi Krishna Rao.

Briefing reporters after inspecting various tourism-related projects on Saturday, he said around 80 per cent of the work to extend the runway from its present length of 1,200 meters to 1,500 meters had been completed. Immediately after completion of the work, the Airports Authority of India would operate services, he said, adding that initially AAI planned to operate aircraft from Puducherry to Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirupathi and Bangalore.

Besides airlines such as Indian, private players such as Jet Airways, Deccan and Kingfisher had evinced interest to start their operation from Puducherry, Mr. Rao said. The territorial administration in consultation with AAI was trying to sort out issues such as shifting of sewer line laid at the end of the eastern side of runway, samathi of a saint and a garbage dumping yard close to the runway, which had come in the way of completing the project, he further said.

“I have briefed Chairman of AAI K. Ramalingam about the problems. He promised me to despatch a team of officials to sort out the issues,” the Minister said.

Mr. Rao said the AAI had sanctioned Rs. 19 crore for the expansion work and from the territorial government side it had released around Rs 20 crore for land acquisition. The total expenditure involved in the land acquisition came to around Rs 30 crore, he said, adding that the Centre had promised to reimburse part of the amount.

On other initiatives taken up to promote the tourism industry in the Union Territory, he said around 100 acres of land had been acquired at Manapet village, on the Cuddalore Road, to set up a Special Tourism Zone (STZ).

The STZ would have a convention centre, spa, mini golf course, beach resorts, water sports and sculpture park, he added.

The Ministry would soon start the process to select the consultant for developing the STZ on Public Private Partnership mode at a cost of Rs.200 crore.

The Centre had promised to sanction Rs 50 crore under Large Revenue Generating Project scheme, he said.

Other key projects included beautification of Beach, construction of cottages at Chunnambar Backwater, revitalisation of Gandhi Thidal and Craft’s Bazaar, new building to house the Pondicherry Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, renovation of the Seagulls restaurant, he said.

Mr. Rao said he was “apprehensive” about the completion of several of the projects owing to “paucity of funds.” As the Cabinet had not met for the last several months, minor administrative matters such as appointment of Department Heads had come to a standstill, Mr. Rao said.

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