Daijiworld News Network – Mangalore (VM)

Mangalore, Mar 24: MP Janardhan Poojary who is also the member of the parliamentary standing committee on transport, civil aviation and tourism, urged the state government to speed up the process of land acquisition so that the construction of the new terminal building for the Mangalore airport is facilitated. This, he said, would help achieve international status to the airport.

Poojary inspected the new runway works at Mangalore Aiport on Thursday, March 23. Later speaking to press persons, he said that the proposed international airport may not be a reality if the state government did not take immediate steps to acquire the required 55.7 acres of land to construct the terminal and the approach road.There was a possibility of Mangalore airport losing the tag of international airport to Cannanore in case this lethargy continues.

An industrialist is ready to invest as much as Rs 600 crore on Cannanore airport and any delay may prove costly for Mangalore, he warned.

The new runway has been completed at a cost of Rs 40 crore, out of the Rs 55 crore central assistance for the expansion project. The new terminal is estimated to cost an additional Rs 80 crore.

The construction of the new terminal building would reduce the distance between Mangalore city and the airport by over 7 kms. With the acquisition of the land, 76 families would be displaced. The rehabilitation of these families will cost Rs 3.22 crore which will be borne by the state government, said Poojary.