In a move to boost tourism in Konkan and offer speedy connectivity to the district, the Maharashtra government moved a proposal to set up a greenfield airport in Sindhudurg. It is the most scenic district in the region, located about 100 km from Goa and around 500 km from Mumbai. On Saturday, the MIDC, via newspapers asked interested private firms to submit a request for qualification (RFQ) for the project. “It is our first step towards development,’’ said MIDC CEO Kshatrapati Shivaji. The MIDC has already appointed the Infrastructure Development and Finance Company (IDFC) as its consultant. The Union civil aviation and defence ministries have already given a green signal for the project. “There are thousands of Konkan-bound tourists who want speedy connectivity to beaches and hill stations in the region during weekends. It will also strengthen our tourism infrastructure,’’ said an MTDC official. The 271 hectares of land in Sindhudurg selected for the airport is only 90 km from Panjim in Goa. The district headquarters of Kudal in Konkan is 23 km from the site and the airport will serve a large part of the population in this area during emergencies. The MTDC official denied that this was a bid to attract tourists who flock to Goa beaches in large numbers. “As it is only about 500 km from Mumbai, airlines could deploy an ATR aircraft, which would take about an hour for the Mumbai-Sindhudurg trip. Flying from state airports, other than Mumbai and Pune, would attract only a reduced sales tax of 4 % on ATF which could bring huge revenue savings for the airline,’’ said a top airline official. “Airlines may not get enough passenger traffic for Sindhudurg, but then again, as the Goa airport is controlled by defence forces, airlines have restricted hours of operation. The Sindudhurg airport would give airlines the freedom to operate throughout the day,’’ the official said.
1 comment:
Really we need to promote Sindhudurg Tourism in large number coz it have very good destination for travelers.
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