Bangalore: Just a day after the Union Cabinet cleared the crucial concession agreement, Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna today (Jan 21, 2004) announced that work on the private sector green-field Bangalore international airport project would commence on January 29.

Krishna said with yesterday's decision of the Union Cabinet, which gave its green signal for private participation in the construction of the much-delayed Bangalore international airport, all "hurdles" had been cleared.

"Work will commence on 29 of this month," he said, speaking after flagging off the first batch of stainless steel Metro coaches for Delhi Metro at Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML).

Krishna said his earlier announcements about commencement of work were made fun of by skeptics, including the media, but he was now giving a "final assurance".

He said Rs 3,000 crore investment would flow into the project and a state-of-the-art airport would be in place in less than three years.

Krishna said Bangalore was known as a "technological hub" the world over and the airport would remove a major lacuna.

Expressing happiness over the Centre's clearance, marking the fulfillment of a long-cherished dream of the State, he thanked Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Defence Minister George Fernandes for it.

"Just as we succeeded in getting the international airport, I would like to assure the people that the Bangalore Metro project will also be implemented with the help of the Planning Commission and the Centre," he said.