Thursday, March 6, 2008

AP High Court refused to grant stay on Begumpet Airport


By S A Ishaqui
Hyderabad, March 5: A division bench of the AP High Court on Wednesdayrefused to pass interim orders on a writpetition challenging the closure of Begumpet airport.B Venkata Papa Rao, resident of Medchal in Ranga Reddy district, filed apublic interest litigation in the courtstating that the respondents had decided to shut down the Begumpet airportsimultaneously with the opening of thenew green field airport at Shamshabad.The petitioner submitted to the court that the expansion and improvementsat the Begumpet airport were made at thecost of the public funds. He told the court the present facilities werestated to be adequate and sufficient for servingthe air traffic and passenger movement for the next 10 years.A Sharan, Additional Solicitor General of India while arguing the casesaid the decision of closing the Begumpetairport has been taken in 2000 itself. He urged the court to throw out thepetition at very threshold. He said that thepetition was not within the parameters prescribed of the law.Mr Sharan told the court the decision to close the begumpet airport wasbased on the recommendation of the TaskForce which was appointed to study the airports and other infrastructureprojects in the country. Therecommendations of the Task Force was approved by the central cabinet also.D Prakash Reddy, senior counsel for the petitioner argued that thegovernment of India appointed a specialcommittee to study the airports in the country. It was recommended for theconstruction of new airport atShamshabad and with regard to Begumpet airport the committee expressedthat the decision would be taken after adetailed techno and economic study of the traffic.He said that the petitioner wanted to know on what basis the governmenthas taken the decision of the closer of theexisting airport.The Chief Justice A R Dave asked Mr Sharan whether it would be possible toplace records of the cabinet decision.Mr Sharan replied that it would not be possible and there is no suchpractise of placing the records of cabinetdecisions even in the Supreme Court.The court asked the Additional Solicitor General to submit the report ofTask Force with a note mentioning that therecommendations were approved by the cabinet. The case was posted to April 4.

No comments: