Work on Shimoga airport project yet to commence.

The work related to Shimoga airport, though commenced with a bang in 2007, has remained suspended for the past two years owing to differences between the partners of the Regional Airport Holdings Ltd. (RAHI), a joint venture company that had bagged the contract, and the delay in clearing the obstacles that have come in the way of ensuring the safe operation of flights.

The land acquired for the project has now become a place to wash clothes and graze the cattle for the residents of Haregatte, Vinayaka Nagar and surrounding villages in the vicinity. Although more than Rs. 15 crore has been spent on the works like levelling the ground and construction of the runway there, the entire area is covered with thick vegetation. K.T. Gangadhar, leader of Raitha Sangha, has said that as the airport-related work has come to a halt, the farmers who had parted with their land for the project would re-commence cultivation there.

When B.S. Yeddyurappa was Chief Minister, the State government had initiated the work on the airport project to upgrade connectivity here and thereby attract industrial investment into the region. Mr. Yeddyurappa had laid the foundation stone for the project in June 2008.

THE HINDU