From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Oct 27: Signalling the importance attached by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his visit to Bengaluru on November 11 in view of next year’s assembly polls in Karnataka, Modi held a video conference on Thursday with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and senior officials on the preparations for the visit for unveiling Bengaluru founder Kempe Gowda’s statue in front of the Kempegowda International Airport.

The prime minister will also be declaring open the terminal 2 of the Kempegowda International Airport operated by the Bengaluru International Airport Ltd (BIAL), which was built at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore.

Bommai said the terminal with a capacity to cater to 2.5 crore passengers in a year is built to ensure best possible water conservation and power conservation measures. The design of the terminal is based on episodes of epics Ramayana and Mahabharat and has some of the most exotic plants in the garden.

The chief minister told media persons after the video conference that the prime minister has instructed that the preparations for the various functions in connection with his visit should be done in such a way to ensure minimum inconveniences to the public.

The prime minister will also launch the Vande Bharat Express train service, which links Chennai to Mysuru. The Vande Bharat Express train service will be the first in South India and the fifth such service in the country, Bommai said.

Modi will be addressing a public meeting after the functions, the Chief Minister said.

Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary N Manjunath Prasad, IT/BT Department Additional Chief Secretary Dr E V Ramana Reddy, Infrastructure Department Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Pratap Reddy, officials from Union Civil Aviation Ministry, Railway Board, BIAL and other senior officials attended the video conference.

Book release, photo exhibition

The Chief Minister later released a book in Kannada by senior journalist and former MLC P Ramaiah, “Nanu Hindu Ramaiah,” at a function jointly organised by the Abhimani Publications and Gandhi Bhavan.

Bommai also declared open a photographic exhibition, “Frozen Memories,” at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat organised by the Bengaluru Photographers Association.