LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reportedly likely to make an announcement regarding the shifting of the biennial Aero India Show from Bengaluru to Lucknow in his Independent Day speech.
Though the defence ministry is maintaining silence over the issue, the Uttar Pradesh government has apparently started preparations for the show that is likely to be advanced to October this year.
The show was scheduled to take place in February, 2019. But the central government is contemplating advancing it in the wake of 2019 elections.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had requested Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to hold the prestigious air show in the state and assured high-end logistical and infrastructural facilities. The defence minister had maintained a guarded silence over the issue at an event in Aligarh last Saturday. A defence spokesperson at the Central Command in Lucknow, maintained that they were yet to get any official communique about the possible shifting of venue of the event.
However, highly-placed sources said that a few days ago, district administration officials, along with a team of PWD officials and IAF officers, had recently conducted a survey of the air force station at Bakshi-Ka-Talab (BKT).Besides exploring the options for parking space for fighter planes from across the world, loader aircraft and armoured vehicles, the team also looked for space to display arms and ammunition.
A senior district administration official said the agricultural fields around the BKT air base might also be cleared to make way for more space. The officials also surveyed the area for accommodating a gathering of 5,000-10,000 guests and visitors. Hospitality industry sources in Lucknow claimed that booking of rooms in some of the high-rated hotels has started for the occasion.
UP civil aviation minister Nand Gopal Gupta said the department was waiting for a nod from the defence ministry for hosting the four-day event.However, Karnataka is crying foul. Deputy CM G Parmeshwara slammed the Centre in a tweet. “We have been India’s defence hub since independence (sic.) but under the NDA, we are constantly losing key defence projects....”