Bengaluru, March 10 Karnataka Infrastructure Development Minister M B Patil announced on Tuesday a proposal to construct an airport at a suitable location in the Kalyana Karnataka region, aiming to address the connectivity needs of the people in the Ballari, Vijayanagara, and Koppal districts.
However, a final decision on this will be made only after a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with representatives from all three districts, he said.
The minister made this statement in the Legislative Council in response to a starred question raised by BJP member Y M Satish.
Patil recalled that the proposal to construct an airport in Ballari dates back to 2010, when 900 acres of land were acquired for the project.
According to him, the construction work was entrusted to Marg Sri Krishnadevaraya Airport Private Limited, Chennai, and the land was handed over to the company.
However, the company failed to commence work even after two years as stipulated in the agreement, he said.
"Consequently, the agreement was cancelled. Following this, tenders were invited last October to appoint consultants for preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the project," Patil said.
Meanwhile, the minister pointed out that people from the Vijayanagara and Koppal regions have also been demanding an airport. However, establishing a separate airport in each district may not be feasible.
"Therefore, the government is exploring the possibility of setting up an airport at a location convenient to all three districts," he said, clarifying that the land acquired in Ballari for the airport project will not be returned, as compensation has already been paid to the farmers.
The minister noted that as a result of the central government’s UDAN scheme, several district airports functioned well during the first three years after the commencement of flight services.
However, services from Bidar and Kalaburagi airports were later discontinued, though operations at Bidar have now resumed, he said.
To avoid a similar situation in the future for the proposed Ballari airport, the government is considering establishing an airport at a suitable location keeping the needs of all three districts in mind, he said.
“It is also my view that the Ballari airport should not become a white elephant. Airports at Kalaburagi and Bidar have struggled due to a lack of passengers. Therefore, we have requested that the UDAN scheme be extended to five years from the current three years. If an airport is established at a location suitable for all three districts, it would also be economically viable. A final decision will be taken only after discussions with all stakeholders,” he informed the House.
Responding to another question raised by BJP member P H Poojar, the minister said discussions are underway to establish industries in Vijayapura and Bagalkote districts beyond the traditional sectors of cement and sugar.
"Investment discussions have also been held with seven to eight companies in Vijayapura district. Among them, Campa Cola (part of the Reliance Group), Suzlon from the wind energy sector, and Viterra, which processes toor dal, have confirmed their investments. Campa Cola is set to perform the ground-breaking ceremony for its plant next week, while discussions with five other companies are currently in progress," Patil added.