BELAGAVI: While rallying behind leaders who are demanding the establishment of the second international airport at Sira, near Tumakuru, PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi has said the state government may have dropped the plan to have the airport in Sira under pressure from some influential cabinet ministers.
Speaking to media people on Saturday, Jarkiholi said he had written a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah requesting to establish an airport near Sira at least six months ago. He added that the request was put forward for discussion by stating that at least seven to eight districts will benefit if the airport comes up near Sira.
He added that several legislators had taken up the issue seriously and wanted the government to establish the international airport. He said there was a need to rethink this demand as suitable land also had been identified near Sira. The airport could be set up near Sira or Nelamangala, Tumakuru or Vasanthanarasapura, he said. “I brought this issue to the notice of Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu when I was in New Delhi recently,’’ he said
When asked about the government’s plans to drop the proposal of having the new airport at Sira, he said some influential ministers may have exerted pressure in the cabinet to do so.
He reiterated his demand for the airport in Sira while stating that the traffic in Bengaluru has been increasing, and that was why it would be better to have it in Sira, near Tumakuru. Many areas surrounding Sira, including at least seven to eight districts, would benefit from it, he said. To a question on the possibility of a change of KPCC president, Jarkiholi said the issue did not come up for discussion in the AICC executive meeting. Some office-bearers would be named by the party top brass, he said.