Hyderabad, Nov.9 (NSS): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state senior leader Gudur Narayana Reddy on Saturday urged Union Civil Aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu to put the Begumpet Airport area for commercial usage so that good amount of revenue could be generated and amenities for the people of Hyderabad could be expanded.
In a media statement, he said that nearly 90 years old airport was almost idle as no commercial aviation activities are being done. He said that though the army has been given opportunity to use it, it has been using the Hakimpet Air Force station for most of its purposes.
He said that after the inauguration of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad on March 23, 2008, the Begumpet Airport has been mostly deserted, except air traffic control office activities.
He said that it has been used by the chartered flights operators and it is also being used as a parking place for the chartered flights and helicopters. Few pilot training academies are also using it for their purposes.
Reddy said that about Rs one crore per month is being spent on the maintenance of the airport with paltry returns. As much as 790 acres of the land of the airport is underutilized.
He said that so far neither state government nor the centre had any plans to use the area for commercial purposes. No proposals have been made in this regard, he pointed out.
He said that nearly Rs 80,000 crores of property, under the ownership of Airports Authority of India could be a golden goose to the Centre if it is commercially developed.
He stated that the land of the airport could be used for construction of hospitals, hotels, residential apartments, and many others which would be of immense use to the people of Greater Hyderabad. The centrally located airport area could become a hub of commercial and civil activities.
“There is no empty and idle land like the one of this airport has in Hyderabad. It would be nearly impossible to acquire such a land in the core city. There would be no need to acquire the airport land since it is already under the government’s ownership,” he said.
Reddy wanted the Union Minister Rammohan Naidu to look into the issue and direct his department officials to prepare plans for the commercial usage of the Begumpet Airport land. He said that the Civil Aviation Authority could partner with other Union Government ministries like Tourism, Commerce and others for the commercial utilization of the airport area.
