Jaipur airport to get int'l status

Cabinet also clears revised compensation package for 1984 riot victims.

The Cabinet today redesignated the Jaipur domestic airport as an international airport. The upgradation is intended to boost Jaipur's status as an international tourist destination and give a fillip to its economic development.

With its status as an international airport""the 14th such airport in the country""Jaipur is expected to offer increased connectivity and wider choice of services at competitive cost.

In another development, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved the financial restructuring of Braithwaite & Company Limited, a Kolkata-based subsidiary of Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam Limited.

"The company is expected to turn profitable in four years," Finance Minister P Chidambaram told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

As per the scheme, an interest amount of Rs 43.61 crore due on government loans will be waived and no future interest will be levied. The government loan of Rs 69.30 crore will be converted into equity and accumulated losses to the extent of Rs 167.30 crore will be set off against the equity capital.

The scheme provides for Rs 4-crore margin money as grant to help raise the working capital. The Cabinet today also approved a Rs 714.76-crore compensation as relief and rehabilitation to the victims of 1984 riots.

The CCEA gave its go-ahead to the implementation of Seed Production in Agricultural Crops and Fisheries, as a new activity at 85 centres with a total budget of Rs 198.89 crore. The project is expected to result in increased availability of quality planting material and seeds, and provide training to farmers, trainers and entrepreneurs in seed production.

The CCEA also approved the implementation of the micro irrigation scheme at a total outlay of Rs 2,091.85 crore with the Centre's share at Rs 850 crore. State governments will contribute Rs 207 crore and the rest will be borne by farmers. A sum of Rs 400 crore has been provided in the 2005-06 Budget, and Rs 450 has been projected for 2006-07 assuming an increase of 11 per cent.

The compensation to 1984 riot victims consists of five components. In case of death victims, a payment of Rs 3.5 lakh has been approved in addition to what has already been paid by the Delhi government. A total of Rs 115.36 crore has been earmarked for such cases.

The government has earmarked Rs 440 crore for rehabilitating 22,000 riot-affected migrant families of Punjab (Rs 2 lakh for each family).

Families, whose residential properties were damaged, will be paid an additional compensation equal to nine times the amount already paid. For this Rs 85.39 crore has been finalised as the financial liability on the party of the government.

The victims of damaged uninsured commercial and industrial property will also be given an additional compensation equal to nine times the compensation already paid, out of Rs 66.01 crore earmarked for this purpose.