From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jun 21: Tourism and environment minister C P Yogeshwwar, who has been in the news for his dissidence activities against chief minister B S Yediyurappa, has now proposed to establish a heliport at the Jakkur Flying Training School aerodrome in Jakkur as part of the plans to promote heli-tourism in Karnataka.

The proposed heliport to be constructed at Jakkur will have helipads to enable take-off and landing of six helicopters at a time.

The minister held a meeting on utilizing the vast land at Jakkur for building the heliport by utilizing the Jakkur Flying Training School facilities in Bengaluru on Monday involving the tourism and youth empowerment and sports departments. Youth empowerment and sports minister Narayana Gowda, department additional chief secretary, Shalini Rajneesh, tourism department secretary, Pankaj Kumar Pande and other senior officials attended the meeting.

Yogeshwar said the heliport project is proposed to enable tourists from other states and even abroad to visit places of tourist attractions in the state by helicopters. A tourist circuit involving Karnataka, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and other neighbouring states would also be prepared.

The minister said as many as three private entrepreneurs have come forward to take up the heli-tourism development project, including the construction of the heliport and helipads. A comprehensive master plan involving all aspects of the heli-tourism will be prepared, he said.

Yogeshwar said the Jakkur aerodrome will be linked to other key cities such as Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Mangaluru, Ballari and Dharwad and eventually link all district headquarters to enable helicopter travel.

The objective is to enable tourists and VIPs to all places in the state at all times, including in emergency situations, by using the heliports so that valuable time will be saved and it will be very convenient and less expensive in the long run, he said.

Minister Narayana Gowda said international standard facilities will be created at the Jakkur Flying Training School aerodrome in Jakkur, which should allow the use of helicopters during emergency and natural calamities besides tourism.

The meeting decided to go ahead with developing the infrastructure facilities at Jakkur by utilizing the funds in the youth empowerment and sports department.