BIAL's new chairman to be appointed shortly

The Karnataka government plans to develop new airports at Gulbarga and Hassan. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in January 2006 in this connection.

Announcing this recently, Karnataka industries, finance and infrastructure minister P G R Sindhia said he had held discussions with Union civil aviation minister Praful Patel in Delhi on Thursday and that Patel had agreed to consider the state's proposal to develop airports at these places.

The government will provide Rs 20 crore towards the development of each airport in the two cities, he said.

For Mysore airport, Sindhia said that an additional 150 acres had been acquired by the state government and this would be handed over to AAI within a month. AAI would float tenders for the commencement of the work shortly, he added.

Commenting on the appointment of new chairman for the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), following the exit of Infosys chief mentor N R Narayana Murthy in October this year, he said, "We have discussed the matter with the Centre and BIAL.

Both the Centre and state governments will finalise the candidate next month."

Sindhia said that the government had identified several names in both the private and public service and a decision would be taken at an appropriate time.

He said, AAI and the Centre are "particular" about expansion of the international airport terminal building as air traffic is growing faster than projected while planning the new airport. The issue would be discussed at the next meeting of BIAL, the minister said.