Gujarat State News - 42.6% population is urban

According to the 2011 census figures, Gujarat's urban population is now 42.6 per cent, or 2.57 crore, of the state's total.

Thanks to rapid growth in industrial and service sectors over the last one decade, Gujarat is set to break all its previous records of urbanization.

No doubt, urbanization in Gujarat has been on the rise ever since Gujarat was founded 50 years ago.

However, the latest figures suggest the state's urbanization is the highest ever.

Previous figures suggest, 28.08 per cent of Gujarat's population lived in urban areas in 1971.

It rose to 31.1 per cent in 1981, further to 34.49 per cent in 1991 and 37.36 per cent in 2001.

"Only two states - Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra - are more urbanized than Gujarat", a senior state bureaucrat said, adding, "Tamil Nadu's urban population has been put at 46 per cent of the total, while that of Maharashtra's at 45 per cent."

Gujarat State Inter City Air Connectivity - Fuel to be cheaper for flights

To give civil aviation a major boost in Gujarat, the state government has brought down the Value Added Tax (VAT) on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) substantially from 30% to 4%.

However, this relief on VAT on ATF will apply only to the operators who will run flights within the state and also to non-scheduled operators.

The reduction in VAT will mean people will get to fly within the state by paying low airfares.

It was a policy decision by the state government. This will give a boost to civil aviation in the state. Now, more airlines can plan their flights between major cities of the state.

At present, there are a very few flights connecting these cities. As the state government has reduced the VAT on ATF from 30% to 4%, it will bring down the cost of operation for the small carriers as fuel cost is the major expense for the airlines.

However, this reduction in the tax will be applicable only to those flights operating within the state.

Now, flights between cities like Ahmedabad City, Bhuj City, Bhavnagar City, Jamnagar City, Rajkot City, Vadodara City and Surat City are not available. But with this move, it will be feasible for the airline companies to operate small flights between these cities in the state.

The airfare for such intra-state flights is likely to be around Rs 3,000, which is almost same as private taxi fare between these cities.

The official said that the government was taking such initiatives to develop Ahmedabad and Surat as major aviation hubs, where the airlines would be attracted because of reduction in VAT on ATF.

He claimed that Gujarat States was the first state in the country to slash the VAT rate on ATF.

While a private company has already decided to start flights between major cities of the state, officials of another airline will soon meet state government officials to chalk out the details.

Gujarat State Inter City Air Connectivity - Deccan Charters Flights Launch to be delayed

The Deccan Charters Limited is likely to delay the operational launch of the intra-state commercial air services from Surat and Ahmedabad following the non-clearance of the aircraft by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Earlier, the flag off ceremony of the inaugural flight by Chief Minister Narendra Modi on April 29 was put off pending aircraft clearance, but chairman of Deccan Charters Limited, Captain GR Gopinath had announced there would be no delay in the operational launch of the intra-state air services connecting important cities in Gujarat from May 7.

Official sources said the DGCA and the Union ministry of civil aviation are busy tackling the Air India pilots' strike.

However, the clearance of the aircraft is pending without which the company is unable to begin the commercial air services from May 7.