Bengaluru: The Karnataka government will place its comprehensive policy to promote the growth of civil aviation before the next Cabinet meeting, Infrastructure Development Minister MB Patil said on Tuesday.
The policy will address funding arrangements, viability gap funding (VGF) and operational mechanisms for State-managed airports. “We have considered several aspects, including financial support and efficient airport operations. The policy could become a model for the rest of the country,” Patil told reporters.
Pointing at the shortcomings in the Centre’s UDAN-2 scheme for the suspension of flight services from Shivamogga airport, he said Karnataka’s experience with regional airports showed the need for a different approach.
“The Centre handed over Mangaluru Airport to the Adani Group and is now moving towards privatizing Hubballi Airport. The State spent Rs 1,000 crore on developing the Kalaburagi Airport and handed it over to the Centre, but has not received even a single rupee in return. MP BY Raghavendra, who has been criticising the State Government, should take note of these facts,” Patil said.
He stated that the State had suggested extending the UDAN scheme from three years to five years, followed by another five years of operation with the Centre and the State sharing the expenditure equally. However, the Centre did not accept the proposal.
“Had the Centre considered our suggestion, the scheme could have delivered better results. Instead, 17 airports across the country have now stopped operations,” Patil said.
He also questioned the practice of the State government investing heavily in airport infrastructure and subsequently handing over the facilities to the Centre.
“It is not appropriate for the State to invest thousands of crores of rupees in building airports only to hand them over to the Union Government. That is why we are managing the airports at Shivamogga, Raichur and Vijayapura ourselves. Flight services at the previously non-operational Kalaburagi Airport were restored with 80 per cent of the funding provided by the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) and the remaining 20 per cent by the State Government. If Raghavendra is capable, let him arrange similar funding for Shivamogga Airport,” Patil stated.
Patil said that the Union Government has created a crisis by allowing ethanol to be blended with petrol beyond the prescribed limits.
“Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari is primarily responsible for this. However, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has defended the Centre’s actions. A comprehensive investigation into the matter is necessary,” he demanded.
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