May 3: After the new-found bonhomie between the UPA and the BSP, the Union government is moving at lightning speed to examine the feasibility of establishment of an international airport at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida area. A meeting of the group of ministers (GoM) will be held on Wednesday in this regard.
The Mayawati government was very keen on the project soon after it came to power in 2007 and took it up with the Union government. But the matter was referred to the GoM. At about the time late last month, when the BSP extended valuable support to the UPA in the Lok Sabha, the GoM was reconstituted with home minister P. Chidambaram at the helm. On Tuesday, a day ahead of the GoM meeting, Mr Chidambaram will meet top officials of the civil aviation ministry to examine the status of the Jewar airport proposal.
The proposed international airport at Jewar, at a location 72 km from Delhi and 120 km from Agra, could serve as a second airport for people in Delhi. The airport proposal was initially mooted by UP in 2001. About 1,500 hectares of land have been identified for construction of the project.
Due to a rule prohibiting construction of an airport within 150 km of an existing and functioning airport that has not reached saturation, there are reportedly legal aspects as well to the setting up of the Jewar airport. The GMR group, which had successfully won the bid a few years ago for operation of IGI Airport, is also expected to be consulted on the issue before a final decision is taken. The civil aviation ministry has also asked the UP government whether the air-traffic it expects at the proposed new Jewar airport will be independent of that of the air-traffic for Delhi airport.