SHIVAMOOGA: Not a single bidder has showed interest in taking up the airport construction work for Shivamogga city. There are no takers for the global tender invited for the second time in a row.
Shivamogga recently joined the ‘smart city’ list. Even this has failed to attract investors to develop airport in the city. The airport work that commenced during the tenure of former CM B S Yeddyurappa has been moving at a snail’s pace. With several hiccups already delaying this project, zero response has dashed people’s hopes.
The government had invited tenders to develop the airport work which had already commenced near Sogane village situated on the outskirts of the city at an estimated cost of Rs 135 crore under PPP model. Department of Infrastructure Development invited the global tender under e-procurement on June 20, 2016 and the last date to apply was September 9.
Citing no response to the project, the pre-bid meeting was rescheduled on June 9 and last date for explanation and enquiry was extended from August 20 to September 7. Opening the bid was scheduled on August 19 which got postponed to September 9.
The district administration made an effort by inviting Dubai-based industrialist B R Shetty to invest and develop the project. The administration arranged his visit to Sogane when he came to Jog, last June. Shetty, who collected technical and other related information about the airport project, did not take part in the tender process.
On June 24, 2014, the then minister of state for civil aviation G M Siddesh visited Sogane and many political leaders of the district felt that the airport work may take off.
When the state government’s effort to hand over the project to the Central government failed, it invited the global tender, which failed to evoke response. Now, the state will have to invite global tender again.
The state government acquired 653.09 acres (survey no. 120) for the airport in March 2007 near Sogane village on the city outskirts.
Initially, the project cost was estimated as `194 crore and it was planned to construct a 3.1-km runway, a terminal building and essential infrastructure to handle passengers and cargo.
The construction company completed the preliminary ground work of clearing the land and making it flat. It also prepared the ground for 1.74 km of the proposed 3.10 km runway. As the firm failed to execute the project on time, the state government cancelled the agreement in January 2015. With this, the work came to a halt.