Expedite airport, rly projects: BSY to Centre

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday requested Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri to finalise pending state's proposal to set up Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) between the state government and Airport Authority of India ( AAI).

During his meeting with Puri, the chief minister said early approval for the SPV would help develop airports in the state.

Earlier, the state mooted a proposal to set up a joint venture company with 51% equity from Airport Authority of India (AAI) and 49% equity from Karnataka for developing, operating and maintaining state-owned airports.

The Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSSIDC) had sent a draft MoU to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation and waiting for the approval. If the ministry approved the proposal, SPV can take up the development of airports, Yediyurappa said in his memorandum.

The chief minister also requested the minister to take steps to finalise the MoU between the state government and AAI to make Kalburagi airport operational. He requested Puri to take up the Shivamogga airport development works.

Yediyurappa also met Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and requested him to expedite the pending proposals of Bengaluru suburban rail, Sakleshpura-Chikkamagauru-Sringeri new line, Bidar and Nanded railway line and newline on Tumakuru-Chitradurga-Davangere, Dharwad-Kittur-Belagavi route.

PM invited

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the newly developed Kalaburagi airport, reports DHNS from New Delhi.

"I request you to kindly inaugurate Kalaburagi airport on a convenient day during the month of September 2019," he said in a letter which he handed over to Modi.

"In this regard, the government of Karnataka will co-ordinate with your office for finalising the schedule of the inaugural function," Yediyurappa said.