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Patna,(BiharTimes): The Airports Authority of India (AAI) was surprised by the Nitish government’s demand of whopping Rs 114.66 crore for 6.37 acres of land on the western side of the Patna airport as the general policy in practice across the country is that the state government gives land for expansion free of cost. This has happed in the case of expansion of Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Raipur, Jharsuguda and several other airports. No such payment was demanded by Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh governments.
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 As reported the state cabinet cleared the proposal to transfer the land to the AAI on January 15 for Rs 114.66 crore.
AAI officials are reportedly against purchasing the land. A final decision in this regard would be taken only after a formal communication from the AAI headquarters in New Delhi.
The state government has its own stand as it claims that sometimes back it gave 100 acres of land free to the AAI for the expansion of Gaya international airport. In Patna, the plot is well within the city and is a valuable piece of land.
The state government wants the expansion of the airport but it is not possible only on the expenses of the state government, an official said.
Incidentally, last year the Centre has to pay a whopping Rs 24 crore for just four acres of land near AIIMS in Phulwari block of Patna for the Indo-Tibetan Border Police to set up its sectoral headquarters. The then DG of ITBP (now CBI Director) Ranjit Sinha was quoted in the media as saying that nowhere in India any central police organization had to purchase land from the state government at such a huge rate. Initially the ITBP wanted 24 acres of land, but when it found the price so high it alter its parameters.
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