SHIVAMOGGA: The Cabinet has decided to name the Shivamogga airport after former chief minister and senior Bhratiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BS Yeddyurappa and the proposal will be forwarded to the Centre for clearance, said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, here on Wednesday.
Laying foundation stones for various development works, he said it was because of the efforts of Yediyurappa that the airport has been constructed in just 18 months. Once the airport becomes operational, it will give a boost to education, industries, tourism and economy in the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate it on February 27, he said.
Shivamogga is one of the fastest growing cities in the state because of the collaborative effort of Yediyurappa and former minister KS Eshwarappa, he said.
On problems being faced by evacuees of the Sharavathi project, he said the government will find a permanent solution. The district administration is conducting a survey and the report will be sent to the central government, he added.
“BJP will not make it a political issue, while opposition parties have, though they could not find a solution to the problem. Our double engine government will definitely give justice to the evacuees,” he said.
The Union Government has sanctioned Rs 500 crore to develop a new rail route connecting Shivamogga, Shikaripura and Ranebennur. Modi will lay the foundation stone for the project, while also declaring 2023 as the Year of Millets during his visit to the city on February 27, he added.
Earlier, Yediyurappa said former Legislative Council Chairman DH Shankarmurthy, Eshwarappa and Member of Parliament BY Raghavendra have been working together for the development of the city and the district.
Eshwarappa lauded Bommai for sanctioning funds for various development projects, including the construction of a 108-foot-tall Eshwara Linga on top of Ragigudda, turning it into a picnic spot.
Meanwhile, CM Bommai inaugurated various completed development works of Rs 1,000 crore. He distributed title deeds to slum dwellers of seven slums in the city. He also handed over completed 288 Ashraya houses