 "India needs four new modern airports: Ashok Gajapathi Raju")
"At present we only have three modern airports- the airports that have parallel runways- at Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore. With the size of a country like India, we need more modern airports, at least two on the West coast and the two on the East coast. Things are moving... (in that direction)," the minister said while interacting with the media after formally launching the E-Boarding system at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport(RGIA) here.
The minister responded on the need for new airports when a reporter asked about the new international airport being proposed at Bhogapuram, just about 28 nautical miles away from the existing Visakhapatnam Airport in Andhra Pradesh.
Gajapathi Raju said his ministry would consider the new airport proposals where ever the state governments come forward to provide land to set up such facilities as land was a state subject. As Hyderabad was an important city for the country, Visakhaptnam too was an important city to have one more airport facility like the RGIA which was being operated by GMR-led consortium.
This airport is coming up in the Minister's home district of Vizianagarm in a 5,311-acre site similar to the size of RGIA. The state government had tentatively decided to complete the process of selection of the developer of this project by April, 2016.
Ministry gets 3 lakh suggestions on new aviation policy
Responding to a question as to when the Government of India was going to notify the new Civil Aviation Policy, minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the process has reached a final stage and a couple of more sittings were required before sending a cabinet note for the decision of the Government. Raju revealed that his ministry had received more than 3 lakh suggestions on the draft policy.
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"Lots of discussion had taken place on the policy already. For the first time, our Ministry had received over 3 lakh suggestions on this draft policy. All that has been sorted out," the minister said.
In response to a question on whether the 5/20 rule where local airlines can fly overseas only after they have five years of operational experience and a fleet of at least 20 aircraft will remain, the minister said he held the view from the beginning that Indian players should not be put in a disadvantageous position under this rule.
Students should opt for admission in reputable institutions in the US
Commenting on the deportation of students who went to the US to join Silicon Valley University at San Jose and North Western Polytechnic University, Fremont, last week, Union Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said the students should do a proper due diligence before opting for any particular institute for admission in the US.
The minster said the national carrier and other airlines have started sending these students back before reaching the US shores because the Indian government did not want them to go through a similar harrowing experience their fellow students faced earlier in San Francisco. Latest reports say that over 150 students, who were on way to the US, were sent back here by different airlines owing to situation they expect to face in the US airports.
"The US authorities have termed these students as potential immigrants. Our airline staffer in San Francisco advised their counter part here not to bring the students in view of the prevailing situation. We do not want these students to go to the US only to buy a return ticket to get back here," the minister added.
He further stated that the institutions mentioned above did not seem to have the kind of reputation that other Universities in the US have. "We request the students to do a proper due diligence and join any reputable institution there," he added.
It may be recalled that the Minstry of External Affairs, Government of India, has already issued an advisory to students seeking admission in Silicon Valley University at San Jose and North Western Polytechnic University, Fremont, to defer their travel till the matter was satisfactorily resolved.