Date:23/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/23/stories/2006112305440400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Officials told to expedite airport work

Special Correspondent

DECISION-MAKING: Principal Secretary Infrastructure Development V.P. Baligar (left), Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar, Science and Technology Minister Ramachandra Gowda and Tourism Minister B. Sriramulu at a meeting in Bangalore on Wednesday. 1; Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: Minister for Infrastructure and Tourism B. Sriramulu and Minister for Planning and Statistics Ramachandra Gowda on Wednesday instructed officials of the Infrastructure and Planning departments to expedite construction of airports in Hubli, Mysore, Hassan, Gulbarga and Shimoga districts.

Both Ministers held an hour-long meeting with officials of the Infrastructure and Planning departments and the Railways and asked them to complete work of the airports and also gauge conversion works as per schedule.

The officials said land acquisition was a major problem and it had led to the delay in upgrading the airports in two-tier cities.

Plan

Mr. Ramachandra Gowda said the officials should prepare a project plan taking into account the growth of the economy in the next 50 years. Many airports were constructed for meeting the demand of the present air traffic, he said.

Mr. Sriramulu and Mr. Ramachandra Gowda said many railway works of north Karnataka were pending for a long time on account of non-cooperation of the Railway authorities.

Completion of gauge conversion works and upgrading the airports in Gulbarga and Hubli would boost the economy in north Karnataka, they said.

The meeting also discussed various infrastructure projects being implemented in Bangalore.

Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar, Dharwad MP Prahalad Joshi, Principal Secretary Infrastructure Development V.P. Baligar and Deputy Commissioners of Mysore, Hassan, Gulbarga and Dharwad districts were present.