Airport in Surat will be fully operational by February: SGCCI

SGCCI team meets Union textile, finance ministers, AAI chief

The Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) said the Airports Authority of India has assured it that the Surat airport will become fully operational by February next year.

A delegation of the chamber also met Union finance minister P Chidambaram and Union textiles minister Shankarsinh Vaghela in New Delhi on Thursday and made representations to them seeking abolition of Cenvat (central value added tax) on the powerloom industry.

The chamber president Dinesh Mandalaywala said, "We met Chidambaram in Delhi and apprised him of the state of the powerloom industry. We presented before him various problems weavers are facing due to Cenvat and urged him to abolish the tax as it is not proving to be beneficial to the government in any manner. We also urged him to take steps for making the Surat airport fully operational at the earliest."

"The finance minister heard our submissions and assured us that he will take appropriate steps keeping our problems in mind. He has also assured that he would keep the interests of local textile and diamond industries in mind in the budget," said Mandalaywala.

The chamber delegation also held a meeting with Vaghela.

"Seeking abolition of Cenvat was the purpose of meeting Vaghela. He has close relations with Surat and is well aware of the problems the local industries are facing. Vaghela has assured us that he would raise the Cenvat issue with the ministries concerned and try to abolish Cenvat," said Mandalaywala.

"We also extended an invitation to Vaghela to visit Surat. He has accepted the invitation and promised that he would be visiting the Surat by June-end or the first week of July," the chamber president said.

The delegation also met Airports Authority of India chairman Ramalingam, who assured that Surat Airport would become fully operational by January or February.

"Ramalingam informed us that Rs 32 crore have been allotted for the airport and the work on the runway has already started. Ramalingam told us that the procedure to invite tenders for building the terminal and installing night landing facility at the airport has also been initiated. Work will begin soon and the airport would become functional by January or February," said Mandalaywala.

"The AAI chairman has told us that the airport will be started even if the new terminal building is not constructed by then or even if there is some delay in setting up night landing facility," said Mandalaywala.