10.1.17

New Pune airport to cost about Rs.12,000cr

The estimated project cost of the proposed airport at Purandar taluka would be between Rs.12,000 crore and Rs.13,000 crore. Vishwas M. Patil, the vice chairman-cum-managing director of the Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited (MADC), said that unlike the Navi Mumbai airport, which had to deal with some geographical issues, the proposed airport at Purandar was an easier assignment.

The estimated cost of the Navi Mumbai Airport, first conceptualized and planned in 2007, at present rests at Rs.16,704 crore. With geographical and environmental issues plaguing it, the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited on Monday decided to extend the date for closing the financial bids for the project by a fortnight.

Officials at the MADC stressed the proposed airport in Purandar was unlikely to face issues like that of Navi Mumbai.

Earlier this month, qualified bidders raised doubts about the timeline and cost factor of the Navi Mumbai project. Sources claimed that it would take at least six years to complete the project. The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited claimed that one runway would be operational by 2019 and the entire airport would be ready in the following year.

Contrary to this, Patil, during an interaction with the media earlier last month, had said the new Pune airport would be ready before the Navi Mumbai project. It would be operational by 2019, he had said.

Named Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje International Airport, the facility at Purandar would have two airstrips. It would handle cargo with passenger traffic. Its detailed project report would be ready within three to four months.

Vishwas M. Patil, the vice-chairman cum-managing director of the Maharashtra Airport Development Company Limited, said the ensuing civic poll dates would not have any bearing on the compensation package announcement.

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