Karnataka - Belgaum   

`Airports will be upgraded if State provides land'

Staff Correspondent

Union Minister hints at setting up airport in Karwar

Belgaum: Union Minister for Civil Aviation Praful Patel has given an assurance to upgrade the airports at Sambra (in Belgaum) and Hubli, and develop airports in Gulbarga and Hassan if the State Government provides land. He also hinted at setting up an airport in Karwar in view of the presence of the Naval base there.

He was speaking to presspersons at the Sambra airport here on Tuesday. The Airports Authority of India would take up development works in these cities as soon as land was provided, he said. He directed that the process of land acquisition be completed as early as possible.

B. Sriramlu, Minister for Tourism, Textiles and Infrastructure Development, promised to ensure the release of funds within a month to acquire land for upgrading Belgaum airport. The assurance came when Congress leader Prabha Kore, MLC, insisted that the Minister give an assurance as Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa have been promising to release funds for the past five months.

Mr. Patel was impressed by the five-minute video presentation on infrastructure facilities and growth potential in the industrial and agro-economic sectors arranged by the district administration at the Sambra airport. The AAI wanted to upgrade the Sambra airport to facilitate landing of bigger aircraft. About 370 acres of land was required to extend the length of the runway from 4,500 ft. to 7,500 ft. and for construction of a second terminal, he said.

Mangalore was set to become the second international airport after Bangalore within a month. The maiden flight from Mangalore to Gulf would take place in the first week of October, Mr. Patel added.

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