Will Mysore airport work take off?

Like a couple of other Mysore-linked projects, the delay in setting up a modern airport has disappointed Mysore's citizens. It is not just the upgradation of the Mandakalli airstrip that is located between Mysore and Nanjangud which is of consequence to Mysoreans.

An expressway between the two cities was conceived in the early '80s. However, it was not taken up due to a lack of funds. The promoters of the present project "" Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Ltd "" came out with a proposal in 1995 and signed an MoU with the government during H D Deve Gowda's tenure as CM.

The actual work on the project commenced only in early-2004 and the first phase of the project involving 62 km is expected to be commissioned in June 2006. The slow pace of work is attributed to the delay in transfer of land by the state government.

Meanwhile, the upgradation of the existing Bangalore-Mysore road is progressing at a snail's pace.

To become fully-operational, the road work will take at least a year, if not more, as the work on bridges and some portions of the road need to be completed. Similar is the fate of the rail track doubling work between the two cities.

Presently, Mandakalli airport is located over 275 acres and in the past it the airport hosted a Dakota plane. But, with Dakotas going off service, the airport remained neglected.

After a proposal was mooted for its modernisation, a high-level civil aviation (planning) team had inspected the airport in November 2004. The state government had signed an MoU with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in October 2005.

Of about 175 acres additionally required for the airport's expansion to receive 50-seater aircraft, the KIADB acquired 154.22 acres, while acquisition of the remaining 20.16 acres has been delayed owing to legal disputes between the KIADB and the land-owners. The land-owners are demanding tax exemption on the compensation due to them.

In view of the dispute, the KIADB has not handed over even the acquired 154.22 acre land to the AAI for the project work.

Though Mysore MP C H Vijayashankar held out an assurance some 3-4 months ago that the airport work will start without further snags, it has not happened.

Civil aviation minister Praful Patel had recently told him that the delay was because the additional land had not been handed over to the AAI and if it is made available, work will commence by April.

In the background of this, the MP held a meeting with officials connected with the land acquisition here on Monday.

He directed the KIADB to hand over the 154.22-acre land to the KIADB immediately and promised to take up with the Centre the land owners' demand for tax relief, reviving hope once again that the airport upgradation may begin in the next few months.