AAI, Kia officials to decide on location for a new airport in Karnataka, says Dy CM
He said M.B. Patil will bring to his notice and also Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on locations to construct a new airport. After locations are identified, the matter of construction of a new airport will be placed before the cabinet meeting before obtaining approval from AAI for the construction of a new airport
BENGALURU: Efforts being done to identify locations for the proposed new airport near Bengaluru and the Minister of Heavy and Medium Scale Industries M.B. Patil and his team are at work to zero in on the locations, stated Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru incharge minister D.K. Shivakumar.
“It is not in our domain to decide on the location to construct a new airport be it Bidadi, Nelamangala, Tumakuru and Soluru (all in close proximity to Bengaluru city). Location for the new airport will be decided by officials concerned of Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Kempegowda International Airport,” he told reporters in a chat in Bengaluru.
The Deputy Chief Minister added AAI and KIA officials will also consider the fact that the agreement that no new airport should be constructed near Bengaluru for a certain period of time after KIA was constructed. Keeping all these factors, AAI and KIA officials will arrive at a decision.
Meanwhile, he said M.B. Patil will bring to his notice and also Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on locations to construct a new airport. After locations are identified, the matter of construction of a new airport will be placed before the cabinet meeting before obtaining approval from AAI for the construction of a new airport.
“It is my wish to get a new airport constructed near my native village (in Kanakapura) but such a decision cannot happen without the location meeting conditions of AAI such as no hillocks, requirement of flying zone among others factors,” he said and added “There is a need of about 4,400 acres for a new airport.”
Recalling his earlier tenure as a Urban Development Minister, he said, “During the construction of Kempegowda International Airport I was the Minister for Urban Development and certain technical factors also come in for considerations before a decision on location is made.”
He criticised Union Minister for Large and Medium Scale and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for not making an attempt to get a new airport for Karnataka when in power but the incumbent State Government is striving hard to get a new airport constructed.