Report on six airports submitted to Telangana, says AAI

HYDERABAD: Referring to the delay in setting up new airports in Telangana, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has made it clear that it has submitted the Techno-Economic Feasibility Report (TEFR) on June 17, 2021, for the proposed development of six airports in the State, and has been waiting for a response from the State government. The AAI revealed this in response to an RTI request.

Answering the RTI query raised, the AAI stated that the Telangana government assigned it to undertake consultancy services for the preparation of TEFR for the proposed development of six airports at Adilabad, Basanth Nagar, Jakranpally, Kothagudem, Mahbubnagar and Warangal.

When asked for a copy of the TEFR, the AAI said that the assignment of preparing TEFR was undertaken at the request of the Telangana government and the intellectual property rights belong to it.Answering the question on the impending works for the development of airports, the AAI categorically said that the “information pertains to State government and may be sought from them”.

Replying to another RTI query, the Ministry of Civil Aviation informed: “The reports have been submitted to the State government on 17.06.2021. The reply is still awaited.”It further said that the Government of India has granted “site clearance” for setting up a Greenfield airport at Kothagudem of erstwhile Khammam district on October 7, 2016.“However, the proposal has been withdrawn by the State government for seeking site clearance for another location,” informed the undersecretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.