The Centre has cleared a long-pending proposal for setting up of an international airport in Uttar Pradesh on the proposed Agra-Noida expressway near Delhi, official sources said on Tuesday.
The planned airport would be constructed between Dhankaur and Jhevar, 80 kilometres from Delhi, as part of the 'Taj Special Economic Zone' project, the sources said.
The clearance was provided at a meeting held between the officials of the Uttar Pradesh government, Indian Air Force, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India at the initiative of the Prime Minister's Office.
The proposal, however, has to be approved by the Union Cabinet, which is likely to take it up in the next two months, the sources said.
The state government had early last year proposed the setting up of the international airport at Greater Noida, which was turned down by the government on the grounds that it would be close to the existing Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.
The Centre had then asked the state government to provide an alternate site for the airport.
The new airport is expected to serve the proposed special economic zone besides bringing tourists closer to the Taj Mahal.
The process for acquiring over 3,000 hectares of land for the three economic zones has already started for which the state government has set aside more than Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion).
The EoIs would be invited by month end for Taj, Kanpur and Bhadoi SEZs, state Industrial Development commissioner Shashank Shekhar Singh said in New Delhi.
The state government has also decided to waive income tax, excise and customs duties besides granting other relaxations for promoting the same.
Singh said the government has already enacted a legislation for this purpose in September 2002.
