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AP GOVERNMENT PLANS TO SELL THE OLD AIRPORT
HYDERABAD AIRPORT ON SALE!
By M H Ahsan
HYDERABAD: Contrary to its earlier plans to convert the Begumpet airport into a training centre or a remote check-in point for travellers once the Shamshabad airport becomes functional, the state government is now toying with the idea of developing, leasing or even selling it after the airport shuts shop in mid-March.
According to sources, the state government is figuring out the total land that comes under the airport and is determining ownership details of this land. The land is worth thousands of crores in the present market situation.
About 2,000 acres of land comes under the Begumpet airport and the government has sought "full details" about this land from the Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district collectors. While a major chunk of this airport land falls in Hyderabad, an estimated 700 acres is in RR district. Part of Begumpet airport stretches to RR district (from Bowenpally side) and comes under village called Begumpet in Balanagar mandal.
Sources say the government wants to determine "the nature of the ownership of the land" and whether it was initially government land that was given to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and if so what were the conditions laid at that point of time. The government also wants to know whether any private land was acquired then. Whether the land acquired or given was at the prevailing market value or at any other rate is also being determined.
"This is being done in case the Begumpet airport falls into disuse after it ceases to be operational to figure out what should be done with the land,'' says a state official.
Officials note that the Begumpet airport issue has come up in a few recent meetings, but its name surprisingly came up at a review meeting of sick units located on government land. It was during this meeting that land details of the airport was sought from the two district collectors.
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