Bengaluru, March 23 Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar clarified on Tuesday that the state government has no plans to relocate the Jakkur Flying Training School, a heritage aviation institution, out of Bengaluru.
Shivakumar, who is also the Minister in-charge of Bengaluru development, was responding to allegations by the Leader of Opposition in the assembly, R Ashoka, that the government is attempting to shift the school to favour real estate interests, and that officials have held meetings to facilitate this.
Ashoka sought to know from the Deputy CM what the government intends to do with the Jakkur Flying Training School and the 217 acres of prime land associated with it.
"There is no such proposal regarding Jakkur; there is nothing. Yes, the issue had come up; when it came for discussion, our Krishna Byre Gowda (Revenue Minister) took a strong stand against it, and the government and the Chief Minister have agreed to that stand. There is no such discussion as of now," Shivakumar said.
Recalling that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had laid the foundation stone for an aviation training school on forest land in Jakkur, which was given by the Maharaja of Mysuru in 1940, Ashoka said that tall buildings cannot be constructed nearby due to air traffic restrictions, which is why the real estate mafia is interested in shutting the school there.
During the previous Congress regime (2013-18), there was a plan to build an Executive Club for MLAs and officers on the land, which was cancelled during the BJP regime that came to power next, he said.
"Now, the government is attempting to close the school to favour real estate interests. Officials have held meetings to discuss shifting the school," he added.
Citing records, Ashoka said, Principal Secretary (Youth Empowerment & Sports) Naveen Raj Singh had called a meeting regarding shifting of the Jakkur training school to Mysuru. "How did the officer convene this meeting without the knowledge of the government?”
Pointing out that Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who is also the local MLA, had admitted that the plan for the executive club was a "mistake" during the earlier Congress government’s tenure; and had said that the school should be saved.
Discussions have also taken place in the past to build a sporting complex on the school’s land. Even though there is plenty of land available in other parts of the city, there is a clever move to acquire this particular land.
"If the school is closed, real estate developers will build tall buildings and make huge profits. The school land should not be handed over to real estate," he demanded.
Intervening, Energy Minister KJ George said he had suggested in the past that the school be shifted out to make way for a “big sports complex”.
With Ashoka pointing to Shivakumar’s recent meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on increasing building height limits around airports, including Jakkur, the latter said he only sought uniformity as the limits are different in Karnataka.
"We have introduced a premium floor area ratio (FAR); this can bring money to Bengaluru. We have asked for some relaxation so that people can use the premium FAR,” he said.