The ambitious project by Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited to set up India's first airport-cum-metropolis has developed fault-lines that typically inflict major infrastructure projects in the country.
Singapore's Changi Airport International (CAI) has decided to increase its stake in Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL) to 32.2 per cent from 26 per cent held since the project began in 2009.
The project is awaiting clearances from the DGCA.
The promoters of BAPL are embroiled in messy legal tussles with accusations of forgery and fraud flying thick and fast.
Jet Airways and Kingfisher have shown interest to operate in the proposed airport in the industrial belt of Asansol-Durgapur region of West Bengal, Subrata Paul, chief executive officer of Bengal Aerotropolis Projects (BAPL) which is setting up the 10,000-crore airport city project, said.
Bengal Aerotropolis Projects, a special purpose vehicle, which is developing India's first airport city, or aerotropolis, in the Asansol-Durgapur region, today entered into a technical services arrangement with Singapore-based Changi Airports International.
Changi saw attractive returns on investment in the medium and long term from the Andal airport-city project.
The surprisingly strong opposition to land acquisition in Singur and earlier events at Nandigram, where local protests forced the government to scrap plans for a chemical hub, have induced investors keen on acquiring land in West Bengal to come up with compensation packages that can only be described as extravagant.
The West Bengal government has handed over the first tranche of 533 acres to Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL) for setting up a new airport city project. This is to come up in the Durgapur-Asansol region, of Bardhaman district, at an estimated investment of Rs 10,000 crore (Rs 100 billion).
West Bengal government has 1.2 per cent stake in BAPL.
Airlines say ATF fuel prices in India are 40 per cent higher than in countries such as Singapore. Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra
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