New Delhi(PTI): Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said eight airports have come up in the North East, including four in Arunachal Pradesh, in the last nine years, and emphasised that the region must be the gateway from the country to the South East.

Scindia, who will inaugurate new infrastructure facilities at Tezu airport in Arunachal Pradesh on September 24, said that in 2014, the state did not have a single airport and today, it has four airports.

The airports are Pasighat, Zero, Hollongi and Tezu.

In the 66 years of the country's independence, Scindia said the North East had only nine airports and in the last nine years, with the prime minister's resolve, the number has almost doubled to 17.

"The North East must be the gateway to India and from India, the gateway to the South East. This has been the prime minister's resolve and in line with that resolve and commitment in the last nine years, we have seen a transformation occur in the lives of people in the North East from the point of view of infrastructure development and social development...," he said here.

Tezu airport has been developed on 212 acres of land and is capable of handling operations for ATR 72 type of aircraft.

"Airports Authority of India (AAI) undertook the development and upgradation work to operationalise Tezu airport at the request of the state government. The works undertaken for Rs 170 crore includes the extension of the runway... and the construction of a new apron for 2 ATR 72 type aircraft, construction of a new terminal building, and a fire station cum ATC Tower," as per an official release issued on Wednesday.

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Bengaluru: The Karnataka Cabinet has approved a formation of separate Dharwad city corporation. Alongside, a 15% hike in fares across the four state transport corporations was also approved. The revised fares will come into effect on January 5.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil, addressing the media at the Committee Hall of Vidhana Soudha, provided details about the decision. He explained that the last fare revision for BMTC was a decade ago when diesel cost Rs 60.98 per litre. Since then, operational costs have risen significantly.

Diesel expenditure for the four corporations has increased from Rs 9.16 crore to Rs 13.21 crore, and personnel costs have grown from Rs 12.85 crore to Rs 18.36 crore. The daily operational burden now stands at Rs 9.56 crore. The fare hike is expected to generate an additional Rs 74.85 crore in monthly revenue without burdening the state exchequer, as Rs 5,015 crore has already been allocated for the Shakti Yojana this fiscal year.

Minister Patil announced that the Cabinet has decided to bifurcate the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation into two independent municipal bodies.

The Cabinet approved the construction of a fishing port in Hejamady village, Udupi, with a revised estimate of Rs 209.13 crore. Additionally, Rs 84.57 crore has been sanctioned for the modernization and dredging of fishing ports.

In a move to strengthen cow shelters, Rs 10.50 crore has been allocated for projects in 14 districts. The Cabinet also approved constructing a building for Visvesvaraya Technical University in Chikkaballapur district at Rs 149.75 crore.

The Cabinet sanctioned a state-of-the-art bus stand in Bannimantap, Mysuru, at a cost of Rs 120 crore. Spread over 14 acres, the facility will include a divisional office, bus units, and commercial shops.

Approval was also granted to utilize Rs 137.85 crore, provided by the Union Finance Ministry under the Special Capital Assistance Scheme, for capital expenditure.

The Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board will use Rs 56.92 crore from its SCP/TSP scheme to supply bed sheets, mosquito nets, and clothing to government residential schools and hostels.

The Cabinet approved Rs 100 crore to construct new buildings for 200 veterinary institutions currently housed in rented or dilapidated structures, using NABARD assistance.

In Davangere, a site was allotted to the Karnataka Working Journalists' Association for constructing a civic facility. A plot in Avaragere village was also leased for 30 years at a concessional rate to Nayaka Vidyarthi Nilaya.

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