Bellary to Get Airport, Foundation to be Laid by Farmers

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Aug 6: Realising that any untoward incident that may disrupt or mar the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee’s 'Bellary Chalo' yatra would not only besmirch the image of the people of Bellary district but also harm the interests of the Bellary mining lords, tourism and infrastructure minister G Janardhana Reddy has promised that strict measures will be taken to ensure that the yatra concludes on August 9 on a peaceful note.

"Anti-social elements or even Congressmen themselves will be allowed to create any violence and trouble," Reddy, who is also the district-in-charge minister for Bellary and the key leader of the Reddy Brothers said.

"There need not be any apprehensions on the peaceful culmination of the yatra, irrespective of its blatantly political motives. We will ensure that the yatra ends on a peaceful note," he declared.
 

Rs 114 cr greenfield airport for Bellary:
 
Reddy  was speaking to reporters after the signing of the Project Development Agreement (PDA) between MARG chairman G R K Reddy and Infrastructure Development Department Deputy Director Manjula Geetha in the presence of Karnataka’s Infrastructure Development Department’s principal secretary V Madhu.

The Chennai-based infrastructure company, MARG, is taking up the construction of the Rs 114 crore medium-sized greenfield airport project in Bellary city as part of the plans to provide air-connectivity. The foundation stone for the project would be laid by farmers who lost their lands for the project in the presence of Sushma Swaraj, opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, BJP national general secretary Anant Kumar and chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on August 20 in Bellary.

A sum of Rs 110 crore had been released for land acquision, of which Rs 93 crore has already been disbursed to farmers. The airport to be completed in two years would be named after Srikrishna Devaraya, the emperor of the erstwhile Vijayanagar empire, and would give a special boost to the development of the district, especially the capital intensive steel sector.

The state government with a vision to promote balanced regional development across the state and to improve linkage between the state capital and other districts, is developing airports in major towns across the state, Reddy said pointing out that the development of airports at strategic locations was vital to bridge the gap between the potential growth centres and urban centres.

Development of airports at such potential growth centres would propel industrial activities leading to overall development of the state, he said, pointing out that Bellary was the second fastest growing district in Karnataka after Bangalore.

Bellary, rich in culture and heritage and endowed with abundant mineral resources, has from time immemorial been considered an important region due to its strategic location and positioning amidst the Deccan plains. This region has witnessed rapid industrial growth and is known as the mining, steel and industrial hub of the state.

"The Bellary-Toranagallu-Hospet belt is the largest exporter of galvanized steel. Bellary is also a culturally rich place which houses Hampi, one of the major tourist attractions of the country and is the celebrated capital of the Vijayanagara Empire," he said explaining that numerous neolithic archeological sites have also been discovered around Bellary.

"This would propel overall economic growth of the region. The government is also planning to establish an industrial park over an area of 500 sq kms near Bellary city,” he disclosed.

Bellary peaceful in last 11 years since Sonia’s resignation:

"We know their game-plan. We don’t want to fall into their trap. Let them complete their yatra and rally. We will show them what we are capable of when BJP rally is held on August 20 at Toranagal, about 40 kms from Bellary, which will be attended by the chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and Lok Sabha opposition leader Sushma Swaraj. Let the people judge for themselves," he said.

Reddy claimed he had kept his promise of developing Bellary by initiating projects worth Rs 80 crore to make the city a tourism hub and also for the improvement of infrastructure facilities in the district. "Let the Congressmen show what they did for the district during the last 60 years. Ultimately, the people will judge whether the Congressmen or we served Bellary better," he said.

Reddy said the BJP has proved its organizational capability by organising mammoth Jan Jagruti Samaveshas at Davangere and Gulbarga. The chief minister has already said his plans to organise similar samaveshas all over the state, which will make it impossible for the Congressmen to match or recover, he contended.

The minister asserted that the people of Bellary were peace-loving. "There is not a single incident of political violence or trouble in the district during the last 11 years since Congress president Sonia Gandhi got elected from Bellary lok sabha constituency and resigned her seat," he said pointing out that the government and the BJP leadership and workers were keen to ensure that the opposition Congress party is denied a political weapon to tarnish the image of the BJP government in the state.

The minister said the government had made it categorically clear that their demand for CBI probe will not be accepted and that the Lokayukta has been asked to conduct a comprehensive probe. "Personally, we are not averse to CBI probe because we have nothing to hide," he said pointing out that the government rightly believes that the CBI was likely to be misused by the Congress-led UPA regime in Delhi.
 

Elaborate Security Arrangements on August 9:
 
As district in-charge minister for Bellary, he decalred, "We have decided to deploy 5,000 policemen throughout the district and at every vantage point in Bellary. We have made elaborate arrangements for video-recording of the situation in the district before and during the rally. Videographers are being deployed in all the 16 checkposts. Strict vigil is also being maintained at areas bordering Andhra Pradesh and on vehicular movement."

Reddy said the Congress leaders’ fears regarding attempts to disrupt the yatra were totally unfounded. "Was there any trouble from any of our workers anywhere in the state since the yatra started in Bangalore on July 25?" he asked and claimed that the BJP leaders and workers had maintained utmost restraint even when Congress leaders indulged in provocative statements against them or the government.

When his attention was drawn to the action by some former loyal MLAs, who had now switched sides to Yeddyurappa, Reddy who had led the dissidence movement late last year against the chief minister before a compromise was reached, said, "We are all united and remain with the chief minister."

He refused to answer questions pertaining to the petitions pending before the Election Commission seeking their disqualification the office of profit issue.