Dear Praja Friends
Below is a message from Lead India winner Rajendra Misra for your perusal. I hope you can make the time to come.
Regards
Devesh R. Agarwal
http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com
--------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
Public Protest against closure of HAL airport - Saturday - 17th May @ 4PM at HAL Airport on Arrival GATE
You all must have seen and heard various debates and concerns in various media about the genuine need for Bangalore to have TWO airports.
The industry captains, opinion makers, political leaders and public at large has been working through various forums and platforms including Public Interest Litigation to reach an acceptable solution to this problem. High Court and Supreme Court took cognisance of this fact and ordered the government to negotiate with BIAL in good faith to keep HAL airport open to reduce the public inconvenience and future proof air-traffic growth of Bangalore.
However as you might have read (Times of India - May 15th - Page 6), this negotiation was a clever ploy by the central government to garner public sympathy and vote for governing party by announcing that up to 80-seater planes will be allowed to fly before the election date, but just the day after the elections were over, announcing that HAL will be closed, without giving any reason or explanation.
This shows that public interest is the last priority for the government.
We are planning a Press Conference tomorrow (Friday-16th May) which will be followed by a Public Protest on Saturday - 17th May @ 4PM at HAL Airport - Arrival Gate.
This will be attended by industry captains, community leaders, airport users and common public.
We request you to please participate in the protest to make sure that government takes note of our concerns and does the needful.
Please note that we are not against BIAL. We are really concerned about the following facts -
1. BIAL is under-capacity airport -
BIAL Capacity - 12 Million, Current Traffic at HAL 11.2 Million and growing at 30% per annum. BIAL will CHOKE in the very first year of its operations. Compare this with Hyderabad - Capacity 12 Million, Current Traffic - 6.5 Million
2. Access to BIAL is far from being satisfactory
All roads leading to BIAL airport are already choked. Imagine what happens when airport opens. TOI conducted actual trips from various parts of the city and it took 1.5 to 2.5 Hrs to reach BIAL in non-peak Hrs when airport is still not open.
Going by the past record of our government, we do not expect any major increase in capacity of our roads in near future.
3. BIAL is a private Monopoly and we are at the
mercy of private operator
In absence of any alternate airport, BIAL has put steep UDF (user fee) of
Rs. 650 and Rs. 1000 for domestic and international passengers. What is the
rational for thsi fee. They have got 4000 acre land from government and all
other possible tax concessions. Also note that Government
has contributed Rs 434.9 crores vs private partners spend of only Rs.
326.7 (Times of India - 15th May, Page -1).
So here we are, private operators are using public money to make windfall profits and taking public for a ride.
We SPEAK-UP now or remain silent for ever!
Look forward to seeing you at HAL airport on Saturday - 4PM - Arrival Gate.
PS: Please see below an interesting note by Mr. Ravichandar (Feedack Consulting) an Infrastructure expert and coordinator of erstwhile BATF.
Regards,
RK Misra
Please visit www.changeindia.in for details.
For updates please sms START CHANGE to 575758
************************************************************************************************************
ARTICLE FROM RAVICHANDAR - FEEDBACK Consulting
"I made some points at a recent BIC panel meet which I briefly reiterate:
First a confession – till Nov 2007 I was for honouring the sanctity of the contract and closing HAL. I have since revised my view and I shall present my case for being a 'turncoat' shortly.
A disclaimer – asking for HAL airport to remain open does not mean one is anti BIAL. BIAL is the future and is needed for the city. But HAL can co exist with BIAL being compensated.
The reasons why HAL should remain open (and none of them is about connectivity at all) :
· Future proofing is in the public interest. The capacity of BIAL is 12 mn passengers. We are currently at 10.5 mn passengers annually and we will reach current capacity by middle of 2009. With one runway the capacity can go to 14-15 mn passengers, a number that will be reached by mid 2010. The new runway (if it does come up) will not be before 2014 (admitted by BIAL and Govt). So expect shortage in capacity between 2011-14. I am not even referring to cargo which is reasonably messed up in the short term for the next year at BIAL
· One argument is that Hyd closed Begumpet so what is the big fuss? Hyd has a current demand of 6.5 mn passengers and an airport with a capacity of 12 mn passengers. Hyd and Blr situation not comparable.
· For a rapidly growing developing economy like India, conserving working infra assets makes sense (I do sound like Prakash Karat here). Closing down a working asset especially when it is known that we are going to run into a capacity constraint seems a silly thing to do. And spending Rs 4000 crores of public money on a high speed rail link from KSCA for a Rs. 2220 crores airport project is questionable when alternatives exist. And this spending for the fat cats is not going to go down well with aam aadmi.
· A private sector monopoly in the infra sector is not in the public interest particularly in the absence of a strong regulator. Someday we will chat about their revenue models. I think a duopoly will keep both parties honest in the interest of citizens.
· Closing HAL will be a self goal. Expect TN to announce a Hosur airport in due course post final closure. And expect that to join Hognekkal as an issue sometime down the line.
· 2 airports will strengthen State competitiveness, investments, job creation, et all.
The contract. It is not cast in stone. The Global tender did not have HAL closure as a promise. It was in 2004 just before the concession agreement was signed that BIAL insisted on it. And the Ministry of Civil Aviation agreed.
I realize a suggestion such as HAL to be open has consequences. Let me deal with them:
· It is not my case that HAL be kept open and BIAL can take a walk. BIAL is in the driver's seat with the contract. I am for users of HAL airport compensating BIAL on terms to be decided – the general public should not be made to pay for it. I think market can decide the demand and adjust supply accordingly – for instance the Mumbai-HAL fare can be 5500 and the Mumbai – BIAL fare can be 4200 and the difference is given to BIAL. This can be decided by auctioning slots too. BIAL could be made a shareholder in a HAL airport SPV.
· A point that is made is that PPP will suffer if we go back on the contract. I don't think so. Business will come where money is to be made and India is gold rush territory. It will suffer if there is arbitrariness in the decision to keep HAL open. If there is compensation to BIAL then rule of law applies. For eg. in a recent Peru airport, 70 odd conditions were renegotiated. The PPP models are imperfect and they are being honed with each experience.
· BIAL claims they will make huge losses and folks have bid at the airport expecting a monopoly. A public hearing on finances should help get a sense of the 'loss'. In their original projections they expected less than 7 mn passengers this year. If it is proven BIAL is financially devastated then HAL should not be open.
Finally, I repeat it is not about connectivity and travel time to BIAL which will be a hassle in the short term. It's about a few other issues I have tabled. You may or may not agree. I rest my case.
Cheers
Ravi"
Forward this Forum topic
Dear CNKumar, Iam and was
Dear CNKumar, Iam and was never against BIAL opening. Please please donot misunderstand me. Let BIAL open as scheduled. Iam only against closure of HAL airport. It is BIAL who is linking opening of BIAL with shutting down of HAL airport.
And BIAL knows very well that its airport runway will be congested during peak hours and no additional flights allowed. Of course, BIAL will then ask airlines to take slots from non-peak hours saying that BIAL still can handle more flights. But how many are going to take flights between 10am and 5pm? So, we will be forced to fly at inconvenient times and no additional flights will be allowed for us during peak hours.Do you want such a situation to remain with BIAL as the only airport and not able to use HAL airport?
As I understand HAL ATCs are the best in the country and BIAL is planned to be manned by AAI ATC. It is AAI which is facing more sshortage of controllers than HAL and please also be aware that BIAL/AAI has already requested staff from HAL ATC.
There are many cities in world with two or more airports and they work fine for years till now. Iam not able to digest when people tell me two ATCs create problems.
Though I understand what you are saying about HAL closing now and opening later if required, it may turn out most likely to be a sour dream only. Assume the problem of BIAL is realised sometime later and as I said there is no guarantee of HAL airport remaining there, then what will you do? Build another airport which may take another few years. Is not it much better to have continued with HAL airport then?
Please see that Government is selling prime land with its public sectors all over the country to fetch revenues as part of liberalisation policy. Examples are HMT, NTC etc. where recently they have sold acres of prime excess land to private parties; nobody not even courts can interfere stopping them from selling the land.
I have got solid intimations from several quarters that real estate firms have eyed out portions from HAL airport land for their projects once HAL closes down. Mind you, HAL airport land is in prime area of Murugeshpalya in Bangalore and can fetch in thousands of crores of rupees for the government who is severely cash strapped. It is like providing a bait to Governement by shutting down HAL airport eventually only to sell off the whole land and kill a fully functioning airport for the sake of an outdated stupid concession agreement signed years back.
Rakesh.
So why should be the
So why should be the convenience of a few people considered first.
Because air travellers pay much more than rail or road travellers and expect quicker and comfortable travel at their convenient times. It is not acceptable for an air traveller who is planning a short haul air journey of 1 hour to take 3hours taxi ride to airport, 1 hour check in at airport, 1 hour delay in take off due to congestion and so forth. Instead of such a bad journey, the traveller might instead opt to choose rail or road. So, in effect you are denying short haul passengers air travel from Bangalore which is not acceptable and what is expected from a world class airport.
They have an agreement done with the government and they just want it to be honoured. Do not blame BIAL for the goof-ups that government and babus have done to you.
Please tell me who is to be blamed for the poor estimates of passenger traffic made at the time of agreement? What do you say about the fact the same agreement was already modified once? Because of the underestimated passenger traffic growth, BIAL built only single runway whereas the current traffic growth warrants two parallel runways. Add to it, poor road connectivity it can become hell for an air traveller during peak hours. Why do you want an air traveller from Bangalore to undergo such sufferings?After all isnt he paying through his nose with UDF etc. and in return is he going to get back what he wants?
And to add salt to the wound, some low cost airlines have already started cutting down schedules now to Bangalore anticipating lower air traffic once BIAL opens. Is that something what you guys are looking for to please BIAL and forcing public to suffer?
Rakesh.
The Government has sold us out Bangalore-Guy
I was chatting with a TV reporter today, and we were discussing various aspects of BIAL including the contract.
Very few people realise that the contract is exclusive for 60 years!!!!, with no exit clause at all.
We keep reading stories about families who sell their children for a few measly rupees and we sympathise.
Well in this case, Bangalore and Bangaloreans are the children, and our Government has sold us out for a few Euros.
Now that you are aware of it, what do you propose to do ? I work hard for my money, as I am sure, all of us at Praja do. I am not willing to just lie down and proceed to get gang-abused.
With regards to holding a gun. I was in court listening to the BIAL counsel literally threaten the Hon'ble Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, that BIAL will not ALLOW the airport to function unless it got its way. Luckily for the counsel, the CJ was consulting his papers and when he asked the counsel to repeat, the counsel corrected himself. This is their attitude. Heil Siemens. We natives shall follow your every command Massa.
Those who say, have only one airport, should also say, have only 1 bus stand, and only 1 railway station. Airports create noise pollution, we should have them outside town, well so do trains and buses. Let us move everything out.
At what point do you stop, think, and reflect on what is happening. The netas are the owners of us dogs, being made to go around chasing our tails, while they sit back in amusement.
The reason why BIAL is, where it is, is not becuase of technical soundness, but due to all the land AROUND the airport, and the UBER prosperity it will bring to the very very few.
-----------------------
Regards
Devesh R. Agarwal
Visit my aviation blog at http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com
Regards
Devesh
Bangalore Aviation
Enjoy life, destroy FUD
With you on this Devesh, but
We got to rework the 150 km and 60 years exclusivity clauses (to perhaps add some exit routes there like, if passenger growth is X% more than expected, 150 km radius goes down by Y, or similar things - you get the point). Don't think anyone says no to that. But by mixing this up with HAL right away, your points are not coming across well to a good number of people.
If you have to walk the legal jungle, please do it for a nice airport somewhere South of the city. Please do it to make sure BIAL doesn't milk us dry for every penny just to recover their money a lot sooner than they were planning to.
The thing is that there are several inter related issues here 1) Keep HAL open; 'real' driver - connectivity, guilty party - state government and 2) Unreasonable agreement with BIAL, 'real' driver - they may have got too much in bargain, guilty party - MoCA, State Govt, us for we never reviewed the agreements well and last 3) Possible capacity constraints at BIAL; real driver - unprecedented growth in traffic; guilty party - nobody.
By not segregating these separate but inter related issues, and making this 'sound' like a pure pro-HAL campaign, I think you have mixed things up and lost out on some popular support. You may still win it (and I have no issues with that), but to me, you have been running a mismanaged campaign so far.
Nag ..... Above Capacity
Nag
HAL terminal is over capacity. The runway is not. With no RE taxiways, maximum movements recommended per day by IATA are 450. With 1 RE it is 500, with 2 RE it is 550. Only now has HAL airport reached its runway capacity.
BIA has 2 RE on Runway 27, and 1 RE on Runway 09. Incidentally, during winters, which are the peak traffic months, the winds dictate use of Runway 09.
Please read some of my articles which I think will be helpful for your understanding.
http://aviation.deveshaga...
http://aviation.deveshaga...
http://aviation.deveshaga...
http://aviation.deveshaga...
I do not like to blow my trumpet, but, I have been monitoring Bangalore's aviation scenario since 1993. I am a member of the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce and head the Infrastructure Committee. In my life, I have flown over 4 million miles (6.5 million km), and visited over 50 airports. I am not in Aviation industry, but know the ins and outs of airport operations.
Trust me when I say, I know what I am talking about.
To those who say, we woke up at the last minute. It was my report that was presented to Mr. Praful Patel by a whole team of Presidents, past and present, of various chambers, along with Mr. PGR Scindhia, Hon'ble Minister for Industries, in Feb 2005, that resulted in the terminal expansion at HAL. It was my report in early 2006, that made MoCA put pressure on BIAL to expand their terminal from 3.8 million (yes they had downgraded the initial 4.5 million capacity) to 8 million, which some how later became 12 million.Incidentally, the additional 500+ Cr was not pumped in by the BIAL promoters, but taken as additional loans from INDIAN banks, and advance security deposit from all the concessionaires at the airport.
In that report, I projected demand of 8 million by 2008. I am happy that Bangaloreans propelled our economy to such heights that I was wrong in my projections. Air traffic has grown 250% in the 3 years BIAL took to build the airport. There is no infrastructure project in the world that can plan for this type of growth let alone provide for it. Air traffic grows at 2x to 2.5x rate of GDP growth. India is having a GDP growth next year of 8%. Having experienced this form of growth, why continue to put all our eggs in one basket, especially when that basket has proven, in the recent past, that it is not willing to invest more money. Why else is BIAL so gung-ho on UDF.
We have been pointing out the capacity constraints to government and to BIAL for close to a year now. As an industry chamber we try and work in cooperation with the government. Only when all efforts failed, did ALL industry chambers in Karnataka get together and via BCCF file a PIL. BCCF has BCIC, CII, FKCCI, NASSCOM, PIA, BIA, ElCIA and many more industry chambers in its membership. Members of the chambers are spread all over Bangalore, and Karnataka. Please give us some credit. When we speak, we do so after detailed study, In a country of low infrastructure, it is natural to want to retain all possible infrastructure.
The capacity of BIA as of today is 15 million, and that is the runway. BIA can expand the terminal in 1 year, but the runway takes 3 years, and BIAL has publically indicated only 2013~14. By 2010, even with the slowdown in growth, BIA will be a 15 million passengers. What do you propose to do for the next 3~4 years, you sure cannot have planes parking in the sky. Or does Bangalore get choked by the whims and fancies of a private monopoly ?
Airports today, are the ports and railway junctions of yesterday. Major drivers of economic growth. Today, over Rs 60,000 Cr. worth of goods are transported by air cargo. It is this economic engine called Bangalore that we are a part of. We give to it, and we benefit from it.
And just to re-iterate, I AM NOT AGAINST BIAL. I welcome BIA, just not exclusively.
-----------------------
Regards
Devesh R. Agarwal
Visit my aviation blog at http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com
Regards
Devesh
Bangalore Aviation
Enjoy life, destroy FUD
concession agreement on term
CN .................ATC and Capacity
I know we are good friends, but on this topic we differ.
Please see my blog, and the articles I have referenced. Once you read them, you will have a better idea on the airspace situation in Bangalore.
For your information HAL ATC will be fully active and will control the airspace south of BIA. So all flights south bound will come under its control.
Also check out http://aviation.deveshaga... it will give you an idea on capacity and traffic for Bangalore.
-----------------------
Regards
Devesh R. Agarwal
Visit my aviation blog at http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com
Regards
Devesh
Bangalore Aviation
Enjoy life, destroy FUD
CA term
Thanks TS
So it is possible for BIAL to continue an airport in perpetuity. Or at least for our life times.
-----------------------
Regards
Devesh R. Agarwal
Visit my aviation blog at http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com
Regards
Devesh
Bangalore Aviation
Enjoy life, destroy FUD
Devesh, Why was there no
Devesh,
Why was there no action taken (thats what appears to me looking at the case being built now against BIAL) by the industry chambers through litigation on the concession agreement? Was it not signed in 2003-04? The general public might have no idea but surely the chambers would have studied this agreement in detail. Considering that litigation process takes time, why wasn't a suit filed against the agreement way back when it was signed? Any which way I look at it, the whole campaign has been conducted at the 11th hour, without building sufficient public support and relying too much on a few faces given maximum coverage by a single media house. DH and Hindu have had much much more balanced coverage on this issue than TOI. All this has led to a very high noise to signal ratio leaving the general public totally confused. And let us not blame the BIAL PR alone. You, me, the govt, the corporates everyone is responsible for the state of affairs.
Why talk now of conspiracy theories about assorted politicos making money in Devanahalli because of the location. For that matter, 4000 acres of land in any direction in B'lore is worth billions and someone or the other would've made money. And let's not talk of foreigners looting India. BIAL is no East India Company and we are no meek natives.
Would you want to compare the noise levels of jets vs. buses and trains, come on!! Why then are the Europeans so finicky about night landing times in their airports.
That is good to hear
Finally people in North Bengaluru will start seeing the prices of Jayanagar and BTM layout. Share the wealth - Fight to keep a garbage dump open - go for it it is your backyard.
For all I care - I live west off the city and it probably takes the same amount of time but I don't have to deal with the aisrport road traffic - each to his own
keep BIAL involved
User Interaction Designer
Bangalore
Kiran Mazumdar's reply to Mr. CN Kumar
Regards
Devesh
Bangalore Aviation
Enjoy life, destroy FUD
Naveen .......
Please pray tell me when was the Concession Agreement signed by the Government made public ?
For your information, there have been amendments to the so-called "inviolable" contract. I know of one in mid 2006. Please try and obtain a copy from either GoI or GoK. As per them it is "confidential".
When we challenge the contract, it is construed as an attack on BIAL. On one side, you say, why not challenge the government, yet when we do, it becomes an attack on BIAL ?
Similarly, a desire, to keep HAL airport open, does not mean we want BIAL closed, or even made financially unviable. We have proposed a compensation to BIAL for keeping HAL open. It is BIAL promoters that are linking the opening of BIA to the closure of HAL. It is the promoters, who do not want to open their books, even to the government, so that an accurate compensation can be calculated.
Yes, we are all responsible. We have failed in our duties, but it is still not too late.
Talking about the British East India company, if you recall, it was our first experience with PPP :)
-----------------------
Regards
Devesh R. Agarwal
Visit my aviation blog at http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com
Regards
Devesh
Bangalore Aviation
Enjoy life, destroy FUD
SB is right on ..Devesh we are with you, if
Dear Devesh,
Nice to see you back on praja blogs. It was bit lull from yourside on BIAL discussion. Hope everything is OK on personal side.
Devesh, I agree with SB's summarization. May be we all are talking about same thing but in different wavelengths. I am in total agreement with SB that industry chambers seems to have not put up comprehensive fight. So far the media reports and some inputs from you, seems to indicates that the fight is only for HAL airport and nothing else. That's what is giving to suspicion that this HAL open fight is about own personal losses rather than a loss to Bangalore in general. It seems the fight in name of bangalore is actually about own personal gains/losses. I am sure it is not 100% true.
What needs to happen is, it should be multi prong fight:
1. BIAL Needs to Exapnd in order to meet the growth - Fight for pushing BIAL for going full throttle for expanison right away.
2. BIAL is too far, Connectivity is still far from OK - Fight for decongesting city traffics and feeder roads that feed to various main roads that leads to BIAL and other major destinations.
3. BIAL runway is saturated from day one - Fight for immediate / short term / supplemental support - HAL open could be one solution.
4. BIAL can not be exhorbitantly expensive monoply - Fight for ensuring that all PPP ventures are citizen friendly and affordable to ordinary citizens.
5. Bangalore Need additional airport(s) - Fight to get the ball rolling for planning for additional airports by proving that BIAL can not handle all the tarffic. That can happen only when BIAL expands rapidly including with 2nd Runway. Otherwise it is all my and your theory.
6. BIAL open for public scrutiny - Fight for getting an regulatory body for scrutinzing all the airports private, PPP or state owned. Fight should be for a process where each airporty gets audited by an independent auditors every 3 years to enumerate the needs and shortcomings of each airport.
Each one of the above is a high priority issue and needs a united fight. Industry chambers, businesses, professionals, employees and ordinary citizens has to put up that fight unitedly. Otherwise we will be having the shadow boxing on blogs like praja and PPP monoplies would be having the ball else where.
Devesh sab, we are with you for Bangalore and its growth sans monoplies. Not just for single issues.
Devesh, I don't know if the
Devesh,
I don't know if the agreement has been recently uploaded but the doc link is: http://civilaviation.nic....
Was there any attempt by industry bodies to obtain this agreement? Did GoI or GoK wilfully withold the agreement? If yes, why was no attempt made to publicize this? Today is the first time I'm hearing that the govt. refused to disclose the agreement. Does this mean we all walked into a PPP blindfolded till the PIL was filed I think in February 2008?
All I'm saying is that the timing of the anti-BIAL campaign is suspect when we had enough time on our hands (3 years and 10 months to be precise) to challenge MoCA and BIAL. Each and every clause could've been challenged in courts. Would any of the concessionaires dared to enter into contracts when the agreement itself could've been sub-judice.
GoK, useless or otherwise, wouldn't even have entered the picture in terms of all this connectivity hoopla if the agreement was challenged by all the esteemed personalities atleast 2 years back.
HAL Airport Story
http://bangalorebuzz.blogspot.com/2008/05/man-who-was-key-in-hals-birth.html
Courtsey - http://bangalorebuzz.blog...
Naveen ...... the CA and Govt. keeping us in the dark
Naveen
I know the link for the CA. I raised two questions about transparency :
1.
WHEN was it (the original CA) posted ? As per the document properties the PDF file was created only on 24-May-2006. Two years after the agreement was signed. So it could not have been posted before that.
2.
WHERE are the amendments to the CA posted ? I cannot find them. No one can. I know there is an amendment dated 2006.
-----
Please do not mis-characterise our words. There is NO "Anti BIAL" campaign. Please show me ONE INSTANCE where Bangalore City Connect or any industry body has said STOP BIAL.
I have indicated the efforts of various Industry Chambers through the years in previous posts at Praja. Your post suggests you have not read it carefully. As industry chambers we prefer to do things in cooperation with Government. We have spent almost a year before bringing the PIL.
Before you question motives, delve deeper, things are not what they appear.
Even today the government is keeping all of us in the dark. The Hindu has been cited for its fair and balanced reporting. See http://www.hindu.com/2008.... Opening statement "Public was kept in the dark about the fate of HAL airport until last moment"
-----------------------
Regards
Devesh R. Agarwal
Visit my aviation blog at http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com
Regards
Devesh
Bangalore Aviation
Enjoy life, destroy FUD
pro HAL does not mean anti BIAL
You know I have heard this argument, PRO HAL IS NOT ANTI HAL"..not just on praja .
I an only say this ..
I must be horrible in getting messages because all i could see was
-- the "evil empire" /east india company
--,money minded euro chaps,
--That our very lives itself were in danger on saftey norms
--an umpteen other digs , aspersions at BIAL ..
Infact I would like to see postings on the benefits of BIAL, the good parts of BIAL ..for justrification Of "I am not anti BIAL"
The bottom line is as follows.
a)Civil society is not the same it was some years ago
b)The government is realising this
c)Civic groups also should realise this
d)Until really strong, clear,.non murky arguments are made ..it just wont fly.
e)And praja is not exactly frequented by Low iq"s and follow the herd mentailities.
Most importantaly ..there does seem to be on this same praja...an inkling of hope to find a united front .I am following that route ..and therfefore signing off on te controversy debates..
I am sorry if in my postings on this stuff , including this one I have hurt any feelings..I did tend to get emotional at times.
Anyway,relax, you wont see me on those discussions again
Bye.
vmenon
V-Menon...?
User Interaction Designer
Bangalore
thanks for the correction..narayan
Thanks narayan , yes it should read as in the headline.."pro hal is not Anti bial."
see how my mind is pickled and confused after all this din.!!
Thanks Syed..... BIAL Management has been "Indianised"
Dear Syed
You are right on the spot with regards to points.
I was at BIA yesterday. People were working feverishly all over the place. I made a quip that even the BIAL management has been "Indianised". When asked to explain, I said, in Europe, people move in to facilities after they are fully ready, whereas in India, we always move in to new facilities when they are partially complete. Looking at BIA, with so many facilities incomplete, it appears that BIAL management has been "Indianised".
Expansion. There is no doubt it is needed. However, the issue comes down to money. I do not like to bring up financials, it tends to muddy the view, but as I understand it, BIAL promoters have brought in only about Rs. 300 crore. Balance is grants and loans. Even the current terminal which was expanded, was funded by additional loans and advance security deposits by the concessionaires (flight kitchens, cargo terminals, taxi operators, ground handling agents, etc.), not by BIAL promoters. Check this story. This raises the doubts whether BIAL promoters have the desire, or god-forbid, the ability, to pump more money in to the project to expand at the desired pace, or are they planning expansion by plough-back of income and UDF, in which case it gets delayed.
We also have issues with AFS Yelahanka. BIAL does not have permission for a 2nd runway. What happens if no permission comes through ? Then what ? This raises the point of advance information. Let no Praja member say 2 years hence, what we were doing by not acting earlier. :)
Connectivity : Yes it is far. But it is not so bad. The two trips I have taken from Koramangala, took 1:30 (via NGEF, ORR) and 1:45 via (MG Road, Raj Bhavan, Mekhri Circle). Not desirable, but also not as bad. He the question arises, we have spent Rs. 1500 Cr already, should we be spending another Rs. 5000+ cr.
Monopoly : Definitely a no-no. Only another airport will ensure this. Also, the government is holding up the AERA bill. We should all write to Shri Praful Patel indicating our desire for the AERA bill. Check my blog.
HAL : There are discussions. The government policy reflects the need for competition. In today's TOI, there is a statement by Shri Praful Patel that HAL may be reopened later this year.
Cargo : Is in terrible shape. There is a 3ft gap in the AI-SATS warehouse between the hole and the roof. No process, no people, no security. On average over Rs. 150 Cr per day is the value of cargo going through. In 2 weeks, cargo value is greater than BIAL project value.
Public Scrutiny : Good luck. BIAL and Government would not let BCC even observe the meeting. I am not good with RTI, but surely there are some gurus at Praja. We should file RTIs right away.
Let's see what happens.
-----------------------
Regards
Devesh R. Agarwal
Visit my aviation blog at http://aviation.deveshagarwal.com
Regards
Devesh
Bangalore Aviation
Enjoy life, destroy FUD
BIAL inviting contempt of court!
Rank contempt of court by BIAL: Justice Saldanha
Wednesday May 21 2008 09:16 IST
Express News Service
BANGALORE: Shifting all commercial aviation operations at Bengaluru International Airport on May 23 will put its operator Bangalore International Airport Limited and the Ministry of Civil Aviation in rank contempt as the matter is sub-judice and the Contempt of Court Act mandates that interference in the course of judicial proceeding constitutes criminal contempt which is punishable with a jail sentence, retired judge of the High Court, Justice Michael F Saldanha, told this wwebsite's newspaper.
"The Karnataka High Court (KHC) has submitted a PIL for continuance of commercial operations at HAL Airport. KHC having been prima-facie satisfied that a case has been made out, has admitted the petitions by citizens. At the stage of interim relief, the High Court has passed a speaking order which has been endorsed and confirmed by the Supreme Court, indicating that the whole issue requires reconsideration. But BIAL's latest attempt to illegally shift all operations to BIA is to present the court with a fait-accompli and to render the court proceedings infructous," said Justice Saldanha.
Full news at
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE120080520225432&Page=1&Title=Bangalore&Topic=0&
Rakesh.
Devesh, Is it a compliment or Sarcasm
Devesh Sab,
I couldn't make out whether you are complimenting me or taking wild jab at me. In any case pls feel free to say openly even if it is a hard hitting cirticism of my position.
"WE ALL SHOULD AGREE TO DISAGREE".
Pls do forward my response to Madam Kiran Majumdar.
Devesh, if you still feel that fight for HAL will solve all Bangalore's aviation needs, pls go ahead. Best wishes to you and all others.
Syed.
Discussed this enough