Anomalies will be set right during expansion, says BIAL
Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has assured the State government it would set right all anomalies at the airport while implementing its expansion plan.
In a compliance report on the recommendations of the State Legislature Committee, which was placed before the Cabinet by the Infrastructure Development Department on Thursday, BIAL agreed to implement most of the recommendations of the committee at the time of constructing Terminal-2, official sources said.
The joint House committee headed by BJP MLA Hemachandra Sagar, which looked into the quality of construction in 2009, had concluded that the current facilities at the airport did not meet the international standards at all. It had listed out anomalies like inadequate facilities, small size of the terminal, faulty air-conditioning, dirty toilets, lack of an affordable and decent cafeteria, and insufficient luggage carts.
Besides, the Cabinet decided not to buy 14 per cent share of Siemens in BIAL. Siemens had recently offered to sell its share to the Government. “We decided not to buy it, as it will not change our position as far as the administrative control is concerned,” Law and Parliamentary Minister S Suresh Kumar told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.
Toyota project
The Cabinet approved a long-pending proposal to provide certain exemptions to the proposed Automotive Transmission Assemblies unit of Toyota Auto Parts Limited at Bidadi near Bangalore.
Accordingly, the company will be given 100 per cent stamp duty exemption on entering into a lease-cum-sale agreement with the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board, entry tax exemption on purchase of machinery (except petroleum products) till May 2014, entry tax exemption on purchase of raw materials till 2017 and works contract tax exemption till 2014, the minister said.
He said the Cabinet also gave its nod to give special incentives to seven mega textile projects proposed to be implemented in north Karnataka districts as per the State textile policy.
The projects, whose proposed investment is Rs 1,866 crore, were cleared in the Global Investors’ Meet held last year. Incentives include Re 1 subsidy on every unit of power consumed, he added.
Garden in Belgaum
The Cabinet approved a proposal to develop a garden along the lines of Lalbagh in Bangalore in Belgaum city at a cost of Rs 25 crore. The garden will be developed on a 125-acre land at Vaccine Depot. A glasshouse will also be developed, he added.
Nod for proposal
The Cabinet on Thursday approved a Finance department’s proposal to circulate the report of Expenditure Reforms Commission to all departments and elicit their views. The Commission has made 292 recommendations pertaining to 16 departments of the Government. Besides, the Cabinet agreed to make the report available for public, sources said.
No change in holiday list
There will be no change in the general holidays list for the year 2012.
The Cabinet approved the list of holidays — 21 days of general holidays, 22 days of restricted holidays and 24 holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
