Shivamogga airport to boost business, says PM Modi ahead of inauguration

Days ahead of his visit to Shivamogga in poll-bound Karnataka to inaugurate the newly built airport, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the facility will boost commerce, connectivity and enhance tourism in the region.

Modi was responding to the tweet threads of Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra, who shared a video of the airport and its terminal on his Twitter handle, saying the dream of an airport in Shivamogga has come true.

"The airport in Shivamogga will boost commerce, connectivity and enhance tourism," Modi said.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the greenfield airport in Shivamogga on February 27, which happens to be former chief minister B S Yediyurappa's birthday when he will turn 80.

Raghavendra, who is Yediyurappa's elder son, tweeted: "The dream of an airport at Shivamogga is coming true! The Shivamogga Airport will establish itself as not merely an airport, but as the gateway of Malnad region's journey to transformation."

The Lok Sabha member said the airport with a lotus shaped terminal will cater to the demand of not just the people of Shivamogga but also entire central Karnataka.

It will give wings to the aspirations of the youth and help create lakhs of employment opportunities for them, he said adding that industries, especially IT, tourism and dairy sector will significantly be benefitted.

"Due to the guidance of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji and efforts of our Double Engine Sarkar, this aspirational project has been realised in a record time," Raghavendra said.

Shivamogga is the home district of Yediyurappa and his family, though his native place is Bookanakere in Mandya district.

Yediyurappa has announced his retirement from electoral politics.

Earlier, PM Modi retweeted the former chief minister's farewell speech in the Karnataka assembly, saying: "As a worker of BJP, I found this speech very inspiring. This reflects our party's ethics. It will definitely inspire other party workers as well.