**Mall to come up at Begumpet airport ? **

[Rapp-Chikk]

The worst fears of those opposed to the closure of Begumpet airport are now coming true. A precious 29 acres of Begumpet airport land would soon house shopping complexes and hospitals, if the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has its way. The AAI has proposed to give out the 29-acre cargo area, almost defunct now, of the Begumpet airport on long lease, the objective being to ensure “proper utilisation’’ of unused land, said authorities. Tenders will soon be floated seeking bids to set shops in this area. The cargo area is adjacent to the Begumpet petrol pump.

In fact, it is reliably learnt that the lease value of the airport land will be slashed by 50 per cent to lure developers. This is being done to attract better revenue prospects. The lease rates currently stand at Rs 1,221 per square metre per month for the airport building and Rs 3,163 per square metre per annum for open land. With a slash in lease rates, the builtin area at the Begumpet airport which now has the lone presence of Spice Jet booking counter might have a few more airline operators’ booking counters.

A couple of banks also operate from the airport premises. The open land is used by flying clubs that pay the airport as per their open land charges. Going by the prevailing market rates, this 29 acres of airport land runs into hundreds of crores with real estate analysts calculating the land’s worth based on the prevailing rate of Rs 40,000 per square yard.

What has unnerved observers of this development is not just the proposal to give away the land for peanuts. Those who still hope that Begumpet airport will be functional one day, again, point out how the AAI can take a step in this direction without seeking public opinion. After all, it is at the cost of the public exchequer that the airport is being maintained. “Besides, there is a public interest litigation pending in the high court against the total closure of Begumpet airport. How can they even consider such a proposal without awaiting the court’s verdict on the matter? This is public land. Why couldn’t they think of creating a public park or a sports ground here,’’ questioned BVP Rao, former bureaucrat, who filed the PIL.

[harshakudaravally]

&J& &J& &J& &J& *n$ *n$

[Deletedid1]

Adenti..... nenu inka idi Indian Airforce property anukunna

[Rapp-Chikk]

[quote author=BENZBABU link=topic=69998.msg745228#msg745228 date=1274715705]
Adenti..... nenu inka idi Indian Airforce property anukunna
[/quote]

Anni Airports AirForce valla properti kaavu kadaaa..?? Avi State govt lands.