The Hindu Business Line : Plea for immigration facilities at Mangalore airport

Industry bodies, NRI organisations and politicians in Mangalore have urged the Karnataka Government to speed up the process of providing immigration facilities at the Mangalore airport. If done at the earliest, this will help operate flights from Mangalore to West Asian countries from May 7.

Their demand comes in the wake of the Karnataka Home Department's inability to provide immigration facilities at the airport with the existing infrastructure and manpower.

Mr A. Srinivasa Rao, President of the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Business Line here that the chamber will write to the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister, and the Home Secretary to speed up the process of providing immigration facilities at the airport.

Manpower paucity

Lack of trained manpower is cited as one of the reasons for the Government's inability to provide immigration facilities at the airport. He said the KCCI would request the Government to depute personnel from other centres for the time being. By then, local police should be trained to handle immigration-related activities at the airport. The Home Department is also said to have sought adequate infrastructure at the airport.

Meanwhile, the Dakshina Kannada District Youth Congress Committee has written to the Chief Minister, Mr H.D. Kumaraswamy, urging him to direct the Home Department to provide immigration facilities at the airport with the existing infrastructure. International flight operations from Mangalore would be delayed by several months, if Air India Express fails to operate flight to Dubai on May 7, the party said.

NRI Forum plea

The UAE-based Karnataka NRI Forum has also expressed its concern over this development. In an e-mail message to Business Line, Mr Rajesh Sequera, Co-ordinator of the Karnataka NRI Forum, said that the forum is in touch with the officials concerned in this matter. He hoped that this last hurdle would be resolved at the earliest.

It may be mentioned here that Air India Express was planning to operate a flight to Dubai from Mangalore on May 7. However, Air India's move to operate flight depends on the availability of Customs and Immigration facilities at the airport. The Customs Department has agreed to provide the facility at the airport with the existing infrastructure.

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