Bengaluru, 17 July

Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra urged the Congress government to consider locating Bengaluru's second international airport near Tumakuru instead of Kanakapura, saying it would promote balanced regional development and ease pressure on the capital.

The State government had earlier shortlisted three locations: two on Kanakapura Road near Haroahalli and one on Kunigal Road in Nelamangala (near Tumakuru). Chief Minister DK Shivakumar recently declared that the second airport, which is being built to decongest Kemepegowda International Airport (KIA), will come up in South Bengaluru, effectively meaning near Kanakapura.

In an open letter to Shivakumar, Vijayendra asked why the airport was being built near the former’s home constituency, and argued that an airport near Kanakapura would only benefit a few people. He said people believe that real estate motives were behind the choice.

Its proximity to Bannerghatta National Park also raises environmental concerns, he added.

Instead, if it came near Tumakuru, it would provide equitable access to people from other regions of the State, including North and Central Karnataka and the Old Mysuru region.

“Karnataka’s development cannot mean the development of Bengaluru alone,” Vijayendra wrote.

"We must learn from the experience of previous projects. For example, instead of developing Electronic City deeper within the State, it was established close to the Tamil Nadu border. As a result, a significant portion of the economic and industrial benefits flowed into the neighbouring state," he added.

On the other hand, he claimed that KIA was concentrated in and around Bengaluru, meaning that the benefits did not reach the places it could have, such as Tumakuru, and develop other major cities.