With an aim to promote civil aviation in state Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has written a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajpati Raju to start civil aviation projects in Meerut, Moradabad and Faizabad so that these cities could be air linked with other parts of the state.
“The state government has agreed in principle to construct air fields in Meerut, Moradabad and Faizabad. We have also agreed to transfer land for these projects free of cost to Airport Authority of India but the civil aviation department has thrown spanner in this project,” Yadav said in his letter content of which were released to media on Sunday.
He said that if AAI gives an approval the state government can even construct air field at its own cost. “The AAI had envisaged a project in 2013 under which state governments were asked to build new airports and develop air fields for the Indian Air Force. The governments were asked to provide land free of cost,” Chief Ministers aid.
He said under this proposal the Government has proposed to set up air fields in Meerut, Moradbad and Faizabad. Besides, Government has also agreed to provide land free of cost to IAA to set up civil enclave in air force controlled Agra, Allahabad, Bareilly and Kanpur air fields, he said.
“A MoU was also signed to implement projects in these seven places. In July 2014 government had even transferred land to AAI to set up air fields in Meerut, Moradabad and Faizabad. Government had even sanctioned Rs 182.55 crore,” he said.
Yadav alleged that Civil aviation department has not honoured the MoU. The projects in Allahabad, Agra, Kanpur and Bareilly were taken up but the projects of three other cities were ignored. We were informed that these projects are not viable because their Investment Return Ratio was negative, he said.
“The stand of the Civil Aviation department is unacceptable. The project has moved ahead and it is out of drawing board. At this stage if Civil Aviation department back tracks it also signifies violation of MoU,” Yadav said and urged the minister to ask his department to take up pending projects at the earliest.
Uttar Pradesh, a home to 21 crore people, has two civil aviation airports, eight air fields of Indian Air Force and 16 state air fields. Besides, there are proposals to construct international airports in Agra and Kushinagar.