Minister MB Patil Challenges Prakash Raj's Stance on Land Acquisitions

Minister MB Patil has called on actor Prakash Raj to address land acquisitions in states beyond Karnataka. Patil cites Andhra Pradesh's extensive land grants for industry and stresses Karnataka's crucial role in India's aerospace sector. He is advocating for defence corridors in Karnataka for economic competitiveness.

MB Patil, Karnataka's Minister for Large and Medium Industries, has called upon multilingual actor Prakash Raj to broaden his opposition to encompass land acquisitions in other states, as fervently as he has in Karnataka concerning the planned Aerospace and Defence Park in Devanahalli taluk.

Patil highlighted that while Karnataka plans to acquire 1,282 acres for its park, neighbouring Andhra Pradesh has allocated 10,000 acres for similar projects and is offering land at minimal cost to attract companies. He expressed concerns that such moves could potentially divert major aerospace firms from Karnataka.

The minister underscored that Karnataka claims 65% of India's aerospace and defence sector and ranks third globally in the industry. He emphasized the need for additional defence corridors in Karnataka and plans to advocate for this in an upcoming meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

(With inputs from agencies.)