Bangalore, Aug 14 (DHNS): It is ‘old wine in new bottle’ for the State government’s ambitious airport project at Mysore, which is scheduled to be operational before Dasara. 

The Airport Authority of India (AAI), in its submission to the High Court, has admitted that it is shifting the equipment and security gadgets from the HAL airport in Bangalore to these tier-I and tier-II cities in view of “fund crunch.”

The AAI has disclosed this fact in an affidavit filed before the High Court in connection with a petition filed by Airport Authorities Employees Union. The Union had obtained a stay on the shifting of HAL airport and the AAI has filed the affidavit seeking vacation of the stay.

The affidavit, sworn to by  A N Vishwanatha, General Manager, AAI, states that the Civil Enclave of the HAL airport has large number of chairs, trolleys, x-ray baggage machines, lying unused since May, 2008 and they are being shifted to tier-II and tier-III cities. “It is mandatory to provide world class facilities at all airports in India. But operating airports at these cities is not profitable. Airports like Mysore, Mangalore and other cities require infrastructure such as chairs, trolleys, X-ray baggage machines, conveyor belts, air conditioners, DG sets and check in counters, which are lying idle at HAL airport,” it says.

It further says that in the absence of use and maintenance of equipment, they will become unserviceable due to rusting and corrosion. It states that equipment will be put into public use in tier II and tier III cities, where the facilities are a far cry from the standard facilities.

The application states that since the Government has requested to operationalise the Mysore Airport before August 31, 2009, the pendency of the case and the stay order will cause irreperable injury and hardship to the State and AAI. Pointing out that airport terminals at Mysore and Mangalore are almost ready, the applicant has requested the court to allow shifting of equipment to open the airports on schedule.