State to include addenda to suggestions on BIA

Only 8 of 21 House panel members were signatories to the report

The announcement was made by Law Minister Suresh Kumar in the legislative assembly following vociferous demand by Congress MLA D K Shivakumar and some of his party members.

The members said that many important aspects which should have been part of the crucial report, had been left out as Chairman of the Committee Hemachandra Sagar submitted the report to the Assembly much ahead of the December 31 deadline. Only eight members of the total 21 members on the panel were signatory to the report, the Congress members said.

Earlier, Shivakumar through a letter, urged the Speaker to withdraw the report and re-submit it after incorporating his views. The Law Minister said the report cannot be withdrawn as it had become the property of the House, but the lacunae could be set right by including the recommendations which have been left out as addenda. This was accepted by the Congress members.

Earlier raising the issue, Shivakumar, who is also on the House Committee, took objection for holding N R Narayana Murthy and Rajiv Chandrashekar, Rajya Sabha member, among others responsible for the poor construction of the Bangalore airport.
Narayana Murthy was the Chairman of BIAL till 2005. Rajiv Chandrashekar was founder director of BIAL.

He further said the State’s infrastructure department Principal Secretary had got an assurance from BIAL that it would take up the expansion of the airport in 10 lakh sq ft in next two years. The same should have been included in the committee’s report.

Shivakumar said the committee chairman for some reason had hurriedly submitted the report to the House. The members including himself, who were not signatory, wanted to include some suggestions.

The BIAL in its letter to the ID department said it is in the process of landscaping the vacant plot adjacent to the existing Terminal 1, besides installing ancient Karnataka sculptures to feature elements of the State culture.

“For the implementation of other suggestions, we will adopt a step by step approach,” the letter stated.