CM to pilot Nagpur charge

Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh will step in to push through the handing over of Nagpur airport to the state airport development authority. The plan, as agreed earlier, is to convert it into a cargo hub.
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting convened on on Tuesday to take stock of the project’s progress. The meeting was chaired by Mr Deshmukh.
As per the agreement with the civil aviation ministry, the state government waived stamp duty and other taxes applicable to the modernisation of the Mumbai airport, and in lieu of this, it would receive Nagpur airport. Accordingly, a memorandum of understanding was signed in August ‘05.
The Maharashtra government has already cleared the Rs 2,500-crore aviation cargo hub proposed to be developed in the Nagpur aerodrome area. The project envisages developing an international passenger and cargo hub complex along with railway and road freight centres.
31/05/06 Girish Kuber/Economic Times

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