The Centre will come out with a policy by next year that will prescribe guidelines to state governments, private investors and Airports Authority of India for building airports.
This was announced by the Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel at an Assocham function to discuss the need for building aerotropolis (cities around the airport).
The government is formulating a move to have merchant airports where an entrepreneur builds the airport supported by the concept of aerotropolis.
"The matter was sent to Committee on Infrastructure which referred the matter to Inter-Ministerial group which made a broad set of guidelines for the state governments, private partners and AAI," he said.
The guidelines of the IMG have been sent to Committee on Infrastructure headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the same would be sent to the Cabinet after it is cleared, he said.
Emphasising private partners to focus on developing areas in and around the airport, Patel said future of aviation was possible only when "we have a strong infrastructure. Only then it will be possible to sustain the growth achieved in the aviation sector in the last three years."
Asked about the reservations expressed by the GMR group, which is modernizing the Delhi airport, to building an airport in Greater Noida, Patel told reporters on the sidelines of the function that no decision had been taken yet.
"We have received a proposal from Uttar Pradesh government and the same is being examined. We will be taking into consideration the contractual obligations with the GMR before taking any decision," he said.
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