Airport Near Tumakuru Will Benefit 18–20 Districts: Karnataka Dy CM
Vijayendra stated that if the airport came up near Tumakuru, it would provide more equitable access to people from other regions of the state
Bengaluru: Expressing his wish that Bengaluru's second international airport be located near Tumakuru, his home district, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said on Saturday that the government would decide on the location based on the technical committee's recommendations.
He was reacting to State BJP President B Y Vijayendra's open letter to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar expressing reservations about the proposal to build the airport near the latter's home constituency of Kanakapura.
Vijayendra stated that if the airport came up near Tumakuru, it would provide more equitable access to people from other regions of the state.
"Vijayendra has said what he felt. I too had expressed the desire that the airport should come near Tumakuru. The technical committee under the Infrastructure Department, headed by Minister M B Patil, had proposed sites near Kunigal Road in Nelamangala and on Kanakapura Road," Parameshwara said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's technical team would examine the proposed locations.
"If it comes near Tumakuru, it will be good for us because it will improve connectivity for people from about 18-20 districts. Secondly, it may align with the existing international airport at Devanahalli. It is left to the technical teams to consider. If it comes near Tumakuru, I will be very happy. I too had asked for it to come near Tumakuru. Let's see what the government ultimately decides," he added.
Shivakumar had recently said the city's second airport, planned to decongest Kempegowda International Airport, would come up in South Bengaluru. The CM, however, said no specific site had been identified yet.
The state government had earlier shortlisted three locations: two on Kanakapura Road near Harohalli (South Bengaluru) and one on Kunigal Road in Nelamangala (west of the city).
Responding to the opposition BJP's decision to launch a padayatre (march) from Bidadi to Bengaluru against the proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township project in Bengaluru South district, the Deputy CM accused the party of "playing politics" and said development, not politics, should guide such decisions.
"Let them do what they want. We wanted to go ahead with the project with development in mind. Earlier, JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy had proposed the project when he was the CM, but it was later dropped. Now CM D K Shivakumar has taken it up to implement it systematically. It was approved when Siddaramaiah was the CM, and efforts are on to implement it," he said.
Shivakumar has made it clear that no one will be forced to give up their land for the project and that farmers can part with their land voluntarily, he added.
