Upgrade the facilities in HAL airport

Sir, Whilst a lot is being debated about closing down the HAL airport, can anyone answer how the Bangalore International Airport Ltd's (BIAL) new facility at Devanahalli can handle air traffic congestion, as there is only one runway available here? HAL too has only one runway and struggle to handle peak hour take off's and landings.

Another important thing is that BIAL is planning to rake in Rs 650 as User Development Fee from 5 million passengers, which will amount to around Rs 3,250 million. What they charge from airlines’ and other commercial operators will add to this amount. The present airfare by any discount airline to Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad is Rs 2,525 and they do not get even a 25 per cent profit, whereas BIAL in Bangalore and GMR in Hyderabad will rake in 50 per cent of its investment in first year itself. Instead of closing down the HAL airport, the authorities should upgrade the facilities.

S V Raghavan
Bangalore

Accommodation

Sir, Finding accommodation facilities for the BIAL staff near the new airport will be virtually impossible when compared to the areas surrounding the HAL. Even if the accommodation available, the rents of the building and advances will be higher in view of the new setting of the airport. Its staff would not be able to easily afford the huge amount towards rentals. Though paying guest accommodation is available at Yelahanka, they are all reportedly in a poor shape. Hence the BIAL staff would have more problems in travelling to and from the airport at odd hours.

R Prahlada Rao
Bangalore

Bring clarity

Sir, The Capital Value System (CVS) being implemented in the jurisdiction of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) may be scientific but by no means is property owner  friendly. The proposed system would levy a heavy burden on the property owner. Those with fixed incomes, pensioners and senior citizens cannot afford to pay the property tax which in some cases is nothing but astronomical. The details of calculation to arrive at the CVS tax rate is still not ready with the BBMP. How can they insist upon the CVS when there is not much information about the scheme or how it should be calculated?

D B N Murthy
Bangalore

Commendable job

Sir, It is heartening to note that the exercise of delimitation of assembly constituencies in the state has been completed in a short time. And also, preparation of the new electoral rolls as per the new delimitation is almost over. Chief Electoral Officer R Ramaseshan and his team deserve kudos for their commendable job. They have put at rest doubts raised over completion of the delimitation process, over which polls to the state assembly were sought to be postponed by six months.

B H Shanmukhappa
Davanagere 

False pretence

Sir, With reference to the Dalai Lama’s condemnation of China’s “rule of terror”, I congratulate the Lama for his “peaceful” condemnation of China’s communist government and its efforts to suppress religious autonomy. China’s Marxist government falsely presents itself as the authentic spokesman for the hopes and aspirations of the people, and claims to be able, though by recourse to violent means, to bring about radical changes which will put an end to the oppression and misery of people. Marxism ultimately subsumes the autonomous nature of all spheres of existence: religious, ethical, institutional and cultural.

Paul Kokoski
Ontario, Canada

Peace in Pak

Sir, It is good to hear that the two democratically elected parties in Pakistan, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (N), have ironed out most of their differences and spelt out areas of agreement. It is now time to remind the Pakistani people that democracy and the rule of law go together. They are inseparable. The newly elected assembly and the civilian government being formed must clearly demonstrate to Pakistanis and the rest of the world that there will be no vagueness in their understanding of this unexceptionable principle.

K R Rangaswamy
Waunakee, US