This story is from February 26, 2021

Karnataka: Activists question disparity in allocation of funds for airports in Shivamogga & Vijayapura

Although the allegations levelled by Vijayapura city MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal of chief minister BS Yediyurappa allocating disproportionately large sums of funds for Shivamogga and giving short shrift to Vijayapura were dismissed initially for being politically motivated, many activists and politicians in the district are now endorsing the dissident leader’s stance.
Karnataka: Activists question disparity in allocation of funds for airports in Shivamogga & Vijayapura
VIJAYAPURA: Although the allegations levelled by Vijayapura city MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal of chief minister BS Yediyurappa allocating disproportionately large sums of funds for Shivamogga and giving short shrift to Vijayapura were dismissed initially for being politically motivated, many activists and politicians in the district are now endorsing the dissident leader’s stance.
Much of the disgruntlement among the activists and citizens of the district stems from the CM’s failure to sanction sufficient funds for the construction of the airport in Vijayapura.
Many critics took to Twitter and other social media portals to express their grouse over the disparity in the funds allocated for the airports in Shivamogga and Vijayapura; while Rs 380 crore was earmarked for the former, only Rs 95 crore was sanctioned for the North Karnataka district.
Convener of Vijayapura Airport Horata Samiti LH Bidari said that the people were deeply distressed with the disparity in the allocation of funds. “We are writing to both the CM and deputy CM Govind Karjol expressing our disappointment about this,” Bidari told TOI.
Mallamma Yalwar, another convener in the samiti, pointed out that, while the government had approved the disbursal of Rs 220 crore for the construction of the airport in Vijayapura, only Rs 95 crore had been sanctioned, while Rs 380 crore of the Rs 389 crore approved for the Shivamogga airport had already been released. “Worse still, while the Shivamogga airport is being envisaged as an all-season airport, one that can accommodate Airbus A320 and Boeing flights, only ATR-72 flights will be able to operate at Vijayapura airport,” Mallamma said.
She also pointed to the concentration of monuments in Vijayapura and adjoining Bagalkot district, which was second only to Delhi. “There is immense potential that Vijayapura offers for export of horticulture crops. It is vital that the airport here is fit for operations of bigger aircraft,” she added.
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