BENGALURU: From coming up with solutions to tackle traffic congestion, providing additional Cauvery river water supply to setting up a separate power plant for city, Union Minister H N Ananth Kumar was the voice of Bengaluru in New Delhi, recalled his associates. He raised many issues in the Parliament, and played an important role in getting the Metro rail and an international airport in the city.A six-time Member of Parliament, Ananth served as Union minister for various portfolios including Civil Aviation, Tourism, Sports and Youth, Urban Development, Chemicals and Fertilizers and Parliamentary affairs. When he served as the Civil Aviation minister, he played an important role in framing the policy for the country’s first ever public-private partnership in the civil aviation, which resulted in the Kempegowda International Airport at Devanhalli. He also managed to get a nod for Namma Bengaluru Metro project in 2003.
P N Sadashiva, BJP City Unit President, said, when Ananth was the Urban Development Minister, he was successful in getting the then Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike a loan of `1,000 crore from HUDCO during late nineties. “Ananth Kumar wanted a separate power plant for Bengaluru which would supply power 24X7 without any interruption. He also played a role in drafting the proposal, which is currently before the Union government. Besides that, Ananthkumar also raised the issue of getting additional Cauvery water to Bengaluru in the Parliament’’ Sadashiva said.
“A section of people from his constituency would often complain that their MP would be more in Delhi, than accessible to them. But in reality, he would be thinking about the overall development of the city rather than concentrating on his constituency alone. The Metro train which is widely used by Bengalureans is one of his contributions,’’ a senior BJP leader told TNIE on condition of anonymity.The two-time MP from Bengaluru Central P C Mohan said Ananth acted as bridge between state government and Union government.