From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Shivamogga, Oct 19: Work on the construction of the Shivamogga airport at Sogane is expected to complete by December 2021 chief minister B S Yediyurappa said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters at the site of the airport work, the chief minister said the airport was likely to be ready for operation from January or February 2022.

Initially, the airport was proposed to have a runway of 2050 metres length. But in order to enable larger aircraft including Airbus to land in the airport, approval has been given to increase the length of the runway to 3,200 metres. An additional Rs 75 crore would be earmarked in the budget for next year and the money will be released, the chief minister said.

The chief minister said the state government has urged the Centre to include the Shivamogga airport under the ambit of the Udaan scheme so as to enable air flying even to ordinary citizens, he said and hoped that the approval was expected.

All land acquisition proceedings for the Shivamogga airport have been completed, he said and promised that all the people who lost their land due to the land acquisition would be sanctioned satisfactory compensation.

Yediyurappa said the completion of the Shivamogga airport would benefit the people of Shivamogga and other neighbouring districts and boost the industrial development in the region. "We expect more investments will come to the region after the airport becomes operational,’’ he added.

Shivamogga Lok Sabha member B Y Raghavendra, district deputy commissioner Shivakumar and superintendent of police Shantharaju and other senior officials accompanied the chief minister.