PM's meet on infra to consider Airline Hub Policy, new airports

With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh keen to boost investment sentiment through infrastructure development, a meeting called by him on Wednesday is expected to finalise an Airline Hub Policy and give a push to setting up of 17 new airports, including seven international ones. The meeting on infrastructure is also expected consider launch of bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, elevated rail corridor in Mumbai and starting of two new major ports, sources told agency on Tuesday. The sources said the meeting, attended by ministers of infrastructure ministries like power, coal, aviation, shipping and road transport, has been called as part of an exercise to boost investment sentiment in the country. As part of setting ambitious targets for the next one year in six major infrastructure sectors, the meeting is expected to finalise an Airline Hub Policy which would focus on making India an aviation hub by expanding both regional and international air connectivity. The policy has been formulated because of fear of loss of outbound air traffic from India to adjoining hub airports such as Dubai and Singapore. Under the policy, a series of steps are entailed which include improvement of connectivity and making visa processing easier so that more passengers fly from India to destinations in Europe and America. Singh is expected to push for expediting work on setting up 17 new major airports. These include airport at Navi Mumbai and three other international airports, the sources said. Besides, the meeting is expected to finalise around 10 more airports on public-private-partnership mode. In the railways sector, the meeting to be chaired by the Prime Minister will consider a proposal for setting up high speed corridor (bullet train) between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, elevated rail corridor in Mumbai and two new locomotive manufacturing units. The meeting is also expected to set targets at least three times higher than last year in the ports sector. A target for starting two new major ports will also be considered, the sources said. In the roads sector, targets are likely to see a significant jump over 8000 kms achieved last year. For the first time, targets are being set for giving roads for maintenance under 'Operate, Maintain, Transfer' (OMT) mechanism, the sources said. The meeting will also discuss ways to push generation and transmission of power. In the coal sector, discussions will centre around meeting the demands of the power sector, the sources said. The Prime Minister will be monitoring progress in the second and third quarters, ending September and December this year. A mechanism has already been put in place for monitoring of targets every quarter by the Planning Commission which will submit reports to the Prime Minister.