'We have sought Rs 8,500 cr for Bangalore city'

Q&A/ BS Yeddyurappa, Chief Minister of Karnataka

Your government seems to have made civil aviation a big priority.

Yes, we are very proud of this fact. We have entered into pubic-private-partnerships in a big way in this sector. Work has already started on Gulbarga and Shimoga airports. Tenders have been floated for Bijapur airport and the old air force airport in Bidar will be changed into a civilian one. We have already advanced Rs 3 crore to the Bidar district administration to construct an airport terminal. Hubli, Mangalore and Belgaum airports are being expanded while Mysore airport will be ready by December 2008. People talk of traffic congestion in Bangalore. We have already inaugurated a helicopter service between Bangalore airport and Bangalore Palace, Infosys (campus) and Electronic city. The charge is Rs 5,000 per trip. It is operated by Deccan Aviation for people who want to avoid the city traffic.

 

That's quite a list. However, there is also the matter of the High Court asking that the state government hold talks to re-open the old HAL airport in Bangalore.

Yes. The first round of negotiations were not successful, but we are meeting civil aviation ministry officials at the end of July for another round of negotiations. We are guided by the honourable high court in this matter. By the way, we have invited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to inaugurate the new Bangalore international airport on a convenient date by the end of July. With the special session (of Parliment), this could be delayed, but as of now it is on track.

Your party did quite well in the Bangalore area in the Assembly election, mainly by promising better infrastructure. How far have you progressed on that front?

On June 28, we called a meeting on issues related to the overall development of Bangalore. Our main thrust will be on roads, water and electricity. Why just Bangalore, we are undertaking similar exercises in Mysore, Dharwad, Hubli, Gulbarga, Mangalore, Belgaum and Shimoga. We have also asked the prime minister for a Rs 8,500-crore package for Bangalore city's infrastructure needs. He has also promised to visit Bangalore and review the infrastructure there.

One of the major infrastructure loopholes in the state is the power sector. Your party has said that you will be going in for the PPP model there too. What is the progress?

We have just inaugurated a 500-Mw plant in Bellary and our target for the year is 1,000 Mw. For this, we are looking around for partners and our overall target is to increase capacity by 5,000 Mw by the end of our tenure.

The fate of the Bangalore-Mysore infrastructure corridor is still hanging fire and has become a politically charged issue. What's the progress on that?

As you know, there is a case going on in the high court and we are bound by its directions.

Four MLAs recently quit the JD(S) and the Congress and will be contesting by-elections on BJP tickets. So your majority is almost ensured. What do you have to say to people who accuse you of engineering this?

If they have crossed over, it is because they agree with the BJP's vision for the state's development. We were in any case in a comfortable position and even before the resignations I was confident of completing my five years in government. Of course, the more people join you, the better it is.

There had been some enquiries launched by Governor Rameshwar Thakur against the alleged acts of omission and commission of the Kumaraswamy government. Are you going to pursue them?

We are not vengeful, but I would like to say that wherever there are lapses, we will probe them.

A contingent of your ministers, including your industry minister, went to Gujarat on a study trip. Are you following the Modi model of development?

I am following the Atal Bihari Vajpayee model. That is the model being followed by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Of course, I am appreciative of Narendra Modi's work in Gujarat, even his detractors and think tanks like the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation have appreciated his work. His efforts in the power sector, especially the Jyotigram Yojana, is worth looking at. I am open to learning good things wherever I find them

Karnataka has a historic squabble with Tamil Nadu over Cauvery water. How will you handle it?

I have already asked the prime minister to convene a meeting of all chief ministers on inter-linking of rivers. I feel it is the only long-term solution to the many water disputes in India. It was an idea thought of by Vajpayeeji. Had the Vajpayee government been elected back, the project would have been near completion by now. My personal equation with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi is fine. In fact, I called him up on his birthday to wish him. We had a pleasant conversation. I don't wish for confrontation, but a long-term solution has to be found.

Your party is agitating against the quashing of an order granting land to the Amaranth Shrine Board. You are a religious man. Have you visited there?

(Smiles) If Lord Shiva calls me, I will go, maybe next year will be my chance to visit.