State to build 10 airports under Centre’s scheme

MUMBAI: The state government has decided to develop and modernise 10 airports across the state as part of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation’s regional connectivity

MUMBAI: The state government has decided to develop and modernise 10 airports across the state as part of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation’s regional connectivity scheme.

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Following the cabinet nod to the scheme on Monday, the Maharashtra government will on Tuesday sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the civil aviation ministry and Airport Authority of India to revamp the 10 airports, most of which are not functional as of today.

The airports that will be modernised in the first phase of the scheme are the ones at Shirdi, Kolhapur, Amravati, Solapur, Gondia, Jalgaon, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Nashik and Nanded, a state government official said.

“The Union will bear 80 per cent of the viability gap funding, while the state has to pitch in with the rest, as per the scheme. The state will also be liable to provide certain concessions to make the operation of these regional airports commercially viable,” the official said.

The list of concessions to be provided by the state government include subsidised Value Added Tax on air fuel capped at one per cent for the first 10 years, assurance of connectivity to these airports by rail, road, Metro or waterways, and free of cost police security and fire services. The government will also provide electric ity and concessional rates for water supply and other services. The Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation will be the state’s nodal agency for the project. The fares to the airports to be developed as part of the scheme will be capped at Rs 2,500 and be subsidised.