Who will fund Shirdi airport? Debate on

The proposal by Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust to give Rs50 crore to the state government to construct an airport in Shirdi has divided its residents, politicians and devotees.

Last week, the first instalment of the aid — Rs15crore —was handed over to the government by the temple trustees. The airport is proposed to be built by the state government-owned Maharashtra Airport Development Corporation Limited at a cost of around Rs300 crore. 

The government has acquired land at Kakade village, some 12km outside the temple town, for the project. The airport was proposed to be ready by December 2011, but the debt-ridden state government could not start work on the project because of a scarcity of funds. There were reports that the company building the runway and terminal building was not paid its bills in time. 

The shrine trust says that the airport will boost religious tourism and industrial development around the pilgrim town. But some of Shirdi’s residents and politicians feel the temple’s money should be used for improving roads and other facilities in the town. The first protests had taken place in 2008 when it was suggested that the trust’s funds should be used for building the airport. In April this year, the town was shut down by protesters while a group supporting the airport sat in a counter protest outside the temple.

Temple trustees said that by building an airport for pilgrims, the temple’s money should be put to a good use. Dr Pyarelal Tiwari, a cardiologist and trustee of the temple trust said he was upset with the opposition to the airport project.

“I am a doctor; I am not a politician and have no interest other than the welfare of devotees. I had requested the aviation minister to consider the idea of an airport near the temple. I wanted a hospital too. Thousands of devotees come from abroad. The airport is for a good cause,” said Tiwari.

Tiwari blamed Shirdi’s politicians for creating hurdles in the project. “There are the people who are responsible for the sale of bad quality flowers and coconuts to pilgrims. The trust has funds for making an airport. If it is not used well, the money will remain idle like in the case of the Padmanabha temple in Kerala. Who is giving the money to the trust? It is the devotees, and their money should be used for creating facilities for them,” said Tiwari. “Those opposing the airport are the kind of people who stop the country from developing its infrastructure.” 

There are also  devotees who think that an airport should be built, but with government money. “The airport should be built as it will help devotees. But it should be built with government funds as its agencies will make money from the air services. The Shirdi Sansthan’s funds should be used for the welfare of poor people,” said Jamshed Irani, a Saibaba devotee from Mumbai.