Terminal building likely to be ready by March

Staff Correspondent The Hindu

65 per cent of construction work is said to have been completed

MANGALORE: The construction of the new integrated terminal building at Mangalore Airport may be completed by March next, according to Oscar Fernandes, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment.
Speaking to presspersons after inspecting the project site at Kenjar near the airport, he said 65 per cent of the work had been completed. It was scheduled for completion by March, 2009. The officials at the airport were hopeful of completing the work ahead of schedule, he said.
Mr. Fernandes said that if Mangalore airport was to be declared an international airport, it had to meet certain requirements for it. The terminal building taken up by the Union Government was part of those requirements, he said.
On the transfer of M.R. Vasudeva from Mangalore airport to Coimbatore airport on promotion as a director, at a juncture when the construction work was half way through, the Minister said: “He has been promoted based on seniority. His contribution to Mangalore airport has been identified.”
Asked if the director would be retained here till the terminal building was completed and commissioned, Mr. Fernandes said it was an administrative matter. “I have spoken to people concerned. Let us see how it works,” he said.