<p>Bengaluru: Union Minister V Somanna on Wednesday lent his support to the demand that Sira, which comes under his Tumakuru Lok Sabha segment, must get Bengaluru’s second international airport and vowed to mount pressure on the federal government about this.</p><p>Somanna said Sira is best suited for an international airport. </p>.Rift as 42 MLAs want Sira to house second Bengaluru airport.<p>"I have received a petition signed by some 34 MLAs that the international airport should come up at Sira. I have given it to Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu. We will mount pressure on the union government," Somanna said. </p><p>Somanna said there is sufficient land available at Bukkapatna in Sira, which he said comes under his Lok Sabha segment. "There's no hillock. It's a prime land," he said, adding that he supports senior Congress lawmaker TB Jayachandra's campaign to bring Bengaluru's second international airport to Sira. </p>.Second airport: 6-member AAI team arrives in Bengaluru.<p>During the day, Jayachandra doubled down on his demand. He told DH earlier this week that 42 lawmakers across parties had signed a petition addressed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Apart from Congress lawmakers from Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Belagavi, Bagalkot and Vijayapura districts, BJP's M Chandrappa (Holalkere), GB Jyothi Ganesh (Tumkur City) and B Suresh Gowda (Tumkur Rural) are among the signatories. </p><p>"Bengaluru to Sira is just one hour journey. Sira has four national highways. The 10-lane Bengaluru-Pune stretch under development also passes through Sira. For an international airport, we'll need water and even land without hillocks. Sira fulfils these conditions," Jayachandra argued. </p>.Selection of site for Bengaluru's second airport to be based on merit, says M B Patil .<p>Jayachandra, who is also Karnataka's special representative in New Delhi, said he would meet Naidu. The previous Congress government, he recalled, had appointed former BWSSB chairperson BN Thyagaraj for a study on Bengaluru's future. "By 2050, Bengaluru's population will be 3.85 crore. Sira would become the gateway for Bengaluru," Jayachandra said, citing the study. </p><p>The infrastructure development department, headed by MB Patil, has already shortlisted three locations for Bengaluru's second airport: Two on Kanakapura Road near Harohalli and one on Kunigal Road in Nelamangala. An Airports Authority of India (AAI) team has already inspected these sites. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: Union Minister V Somanna on Wednesday lent his support to the demand that Sira, which comes under his Tumakuru Lok Sabha segment, must get Bengaluru’s second international airport and vowed to mount pressure on the federal government about this.</p><p>Somanna said Sira is best suited for an international airport. </p>.Rift as 42 MLAs want Sira to house second Bengaluru airport.<p>"I have received a petition signed by some 34 MLAs that the international airport should come up at Sira. I have given it to Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu. We will mount pressure on the union government," Somanna said. </p><p>Somanna said there is sufficient land available at Bukkapatna in Sira, which he said comes under his Lok Sabha segment. "There's no hillock. It's a prime land," he said, adding that he supports senior Congress lawmaker TB Jayachandra's campaign to bring Bengaluru's second international airport to Sira. </p>.Second airport: 6-member AAI team arrives in Bengaluru.<p>During the day, Jayachandra doubled down on his demand. He told DH earlier this week that 42 lawmakers across parties had signed a petition addressed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Apart from Congress lawmakers from Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Belagavi, Bagalkot and Vijayapura districts, BJP's M Chandrappa (Holalkere), GB Jyothi Ganesh (Tumkur City) and B Suresh Gowda (Tumkur Rural) are among the signatories. </p><p>"Bengaluru to Sira is just one hour journey. Sira has four national highways. The 10-lane Bengaluru-Pune stretch under development also passes through Sira. For an international airport, we'll need water and even land without hillocks. Sira fulfils these conditions," Jayachandra argued. </p>.Selection of site for Bengaluru's second airport to be based on merit, says M B Patil .<p>Jayachandra, who is also Karnataka's special representative in New Delhi, said he would meet Naidu. The previous Congress government, he recalled, had appointed former BWSSB chairperson BN Thyagaraj for a study on Bengaluru's future. "By 2050, Bengaluru's population will be 3.85 crore. Sira would become the gateway for Bengaluru," Jayachandra said, citing the study. </p><p>The infrastructure development department, headed by MB Patil, has already shortlisted three locations for Bengaluru's second airport: Two on Kanakapura Road near Harohalli and one on Kunigal Road in Nelamangala. An Airports Authority of India (AAI) team has already inspected these sites. </p>
