Friday, December 31 2004 20:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Karnataka Government today (Dec 31, 2004) said it would sign the land lease and State support agreement with Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) by January end and announced plans to ink a MoA (Memorandum of Agreement) with Airport Authority of India (AAI) to build three airports.

The State would sign the MoA with AAI in the presence of Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Praful Patel, Chief Minister N Dharam Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on January 24 in the city to develop airports at Mysore, Hassan and Gulbarga, Minister for Industries P G R Sindhya told a press conference in Bangalore.

While AAI would invest Rs 55 crore on the Mysore airport, the State would be providing Rs ten crore each for the Hassan and Gulbarga airport projects, he said. All these airports would be ready in about three years, he said.

The AAI has approved construction of another runway at the Mangalore airport, which would be upgraded to international standard in the near future, he said adding that Patel would lay the foundation stone for the project on January 24.

The Government has spent Rs two crore for creating night landing facilities at Hubli, he said.