Karnataka's comprehensive civil aviation policy to be placed in next cabinet meeting: State Minister MB Patil

The State Government has formulated a comprehensive policy to promote the growth of civil aviation in Karnataka. The policy will be placed before the next Cabinet meeting, Infrastructure Development Minister MB Patil said on Tuesday.

The Karnataka Government has formulated a comprehensive policy to promote the growth of civil aviation in the state. The policy will be placed before the next Cabinet meeting, Infrastructure Development Minister MB Patil said on Tuesday. Explaining the policy, he said it covers several aspects, including financial assistance, Viability Gap Funding (VGF) and efficient management of airports operated by the State Government.

The policy could serve as a model for the entire country, he added. Patil blamed shortcomings in the Centre’s UDAN-2 policy for the suspension of flight services at Shivamogga Airport, alleging that the Centre ignored the State’s proposal to extend the scheme and share operational costs equally. He also criticised the Centre’s airport privatisation moves and said flight operations at 17 airports across the country had been suspended.

"The suspension of flight services from Shivamogga Airport is due to shortcomings in the Union Government's UDAN-2 policy. The Centre handed over Mangaluru Airport to the Adani Group and is now moving towards privatising Hubballi Airport. The State spent Rs 1,000 crore on developing the Kalaburagi Airport and handed it over to the Centre, but has not received even a single rupee in return. MP BY. Raghavendra, who has been criticising the State Government, should take note of these facts," Patil said. "We had suggested extending the UDAN scheme from three years to five years, followed by another five years of joint operation by the State and Union Governments, with both sharing the expenditure equally. This would have yielded better results. However, the Centre did not give due consideration to our proposal. Consequently, flight operations at 17 airports across the country have now been suspended," he added.

Patil said the State was managing Shivamogga, Raichur and Vijayapura airports instead of handing them over to the Centre, and challenged Raghavendra to arrange funding for Shivamogga Airport on the lines of Kalaburagi Airport. "It is not appropriate for the State to invest thousands of crores of rupees in building airports only to hand them over to the Union Government. That is why we are managing the airports at Shivamogga, Raichur and Vijayapura ourselves. Flight services at the previously non-operational Kalaburagi Airport were restored with 80 per cent of the funding provided by the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) and the remaining 20 per cent by the State Government. If Raghavendra is capable, let him arrange similar funding for Shivamogga Airport," Patil challenged.

MB Patil also alleged that the Centre had created a crisis by allowing ethanol blending beyond prescribed limits, held Nitin Gadkari responsible and demanded a comprehensive investigation, questioning the credibility of doubts over petrol sample test results from government laboratories. "The Union Government has created a crisis by allowing ethanol to be blended with petrol beyond the prescribed limits. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari is primarily responsible for this, Patil alleged. However, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has defended the Centre's actions. A comprehensive investigation into the matter is necessary," he demanded.

"They refuse to believe me when I speak the truth about ethanol. Let them ask sugar industry leaders such as Murugesh Nirani and Prabhakar Kore. Did we not send petrol samples to the Union Government's own laboratories for testing? Why, then, should there be any doubt about the test results?"he asked. Patil alleged that the Centre encouraged excessive ethanol production without ensuring adequate procurement, leading to storage capacity issues in sugar factories, and said the blending scheme should have been introduced on a pilot basis.

"Ethanol stocks at sugar factories have exceeded their storage capacity. The problem is not confined to Karnataka; Maharashtra is facing the same situation. The position is relatively better only in Uttar Pradesh. The Union Government encouraged excessive ethanol production but failed to ensure adequate procurement. The scheme should initially have been introduced on a pilot basis in four or five districts to assess its advantages and disadvantages. Instead, Gadkari introduced the ethanol-blending system abruptly, resulting in the present crisis," Patil alleged. (ANI)