Karnataka

Residents oppose NoC to hotel near HAL airport

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Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)Bangalore, Aug 13, 2013: Koramangala Infrastructure Task Force, a residents’ organisation, has written a four-page letter to Defence Minister A K Antony, drawing his attention to what it claimed an illegal no-objection certificate (NoC) granted by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to a private builder.

The Task Force has urged the minister to cancel the NoC and also order a probe into the conditions under which it was issued and the role of people employed in HAL.
The organisation has alleged that HAL had compromised on the safety of people by issuing the NoC (October 2011) to Chalet Hotels Private Limited, which is developing a property (Raheja Vivarea) close to the HAL airport.

Stating that the area is located close (within 4 km and within the Inner Horizontal Zone) of the HAL Airport, and is in direct path of landing and taking-off of aircraft, the letter read: “It prima facie indicates that HAL’s NoC has been given under dubious circumstances.”

HAL has allowed Chalet Hotels to construct a 63-metre-tall building taking the height above mean sea level (AMSL) to 932 metres on the assumption that the AMSL at the construction point is 870 metres.

“It is curious also because HAL and the Airports Authority of India have all the elevation maps and access to the Survey of India maps, which clearly are at gross variance with the AMSL claimed by Chalet Hotels in their application, which was accompanied by an elevation of site AMSL certificate from Dr Ambedkar Institute of Technology, countersigned by the BBMP, which declared the elevation as 870 metres,” the letter points out. The Task Force, which has attached documents it claims are evidence to prove that the NoC was illegal, has urged the defence minister to order for  its cancellation.

“…We would, therefore, request you to cancel the NoC issued and investigate the possibility of complicity of individual officials in clear language used in Para 3 of the NoC granted as this has been issued on a representation amounting to willful misrepresentation in this case and take immediate action against those guilty,” the letter reads.

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