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Gujarat plans new airport at Pipavav

Gujarat is planning to build a new airport in the port city of Pipavav and upgrade Surat airport to international standards, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

"A proposal to set up an airport at Pipavav has been sent to the state government and bids will soon be invited from international consultants for development of Surat airport," Ravi Saxena, chairman of the Gujarat Industrial Development Board said.

GIDB is the state's nodal agency for developing projects with private sector participation in key infrastructure sectors such as ports, roads, power and urban development.

GIDB has envisaged an investment of Rs 681.23 billion in the state's key infrastructure sectors over the next 15 years.

Saxena said 33 projects involving an investment of about Rs 330 billion were in various stages of implementation or had already been completed. Gujarat is India's second most industrialised state.

Saxena said the proposal to air-link Pipavav, a port city fast emerging as a major investment destination for gas and power companies, with other major centres across the country would help it to develop faster.

"The airport will be developed in partnership with the private sector and on a build-operate-transfer basis," he said.

Pipavav has a private port handling 2.5 million tonnes of cargo annually, besides a five-million-tonne liquefied natural gas terminal.

Saxena said Surat airport, which currently only has a domestic air service, would be developed into an international airport. He said the project would require an investment of Rs 4 billion.

TRANSIT SYSTEM

Saxena said the state government was planning to develop an integrated public transit system for Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara, the state's three major cities.

A consortium led by Louis Berger International Inc had been asked to conduct a feasibility study for the transit system in Ahmedabad, he said adding the project would cost about Rs 30 billion.

"Selection of consultants for the transit systems in Surat and Vadodara is underway," Saxena said.

The GIDB chief said the state government planned to sign a memorandum of understanding with the railway ministry to develop a network of railway lines across the state to link upcoming ports with other key towns in Gujarat.

"We intend to sign a memorandum of understanding on developing the rail line on a participatory basis," he said.

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