PM Modi to inaugurate Shivamogga airport and launch development projects in Karnataka on February 27

All roads lead to Shivamogga as lakhs of people are eagerly waiting to witness Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the airport at Sogane around 15 km from the city on February 27. The district administration has made all necessary arrangements for the grand inaugural ceremony of the airport which has been constructed at a cost of Rs 384 crore on 622.38 acre of land.

The runway of the Shivamogga airport is 3,200 metre in length, the second-longest in Karnataka after Bengaluru airport. Modi will also lay the foundation stone for Shikaripur-Ranebennur railway route. In total, Modi will inaugurate developmental works worth Rs 1,789 crore, and lay the foundation stones for development works worth Rs 3,377, according to district administration.

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The process of acquiring land from Shivamogga to Shikaripur to lay the railway track is over, and the farmers had been given compensation of Rs 68 crore.

The first phase work pertaining to the railway project will begin at a cost of Rs 612 crore. The railway route is Kotegangur-Ramanagar-Mallapura-Koralahalli-Shikaripur-Masur-Halageri-Ranebennur. The foundation stones will be laid for the National Highway project worth Rs 1,000 crore, Hosanagar-Mavinakatte-Aadugodi road worth Rs 313.56 crore, road widening project worth Rs 395 crore, Shikaripur bypass road project worth Rs 56 crore, Thirthahalli-Megaravalli-Agumbe project worth Rs 96.20 crore, Bharathipur road project worth Rs 56 crore, and Holehonnur Bhadra bridge project worth Rs 4.60 crore. The railway over-bridge near Vidyangar will be opened for traffic on the same day. Modi will also inaugurate 44 works taken up under the Smart City project.

Sources in the party stated that the party workers have been entrusted with the responsibility of bringing people from their region in Shivamogga district and the neighbouring districts in buses. Over two lakh people are expected to attend the event. All have been asked to be there at the venue before 10:00am.

It may be mentioned here that ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival from Delhi to Shivamogga on February 27 to inaugurate the airport at Sogane near Shivamogga, an Indian Air Force plane-Boeing 737 landed at the airport from Delhi around 2:15 pm on February 21 as part of testing. The flight left for Delhi at 3:00 pm and reached Delhi at 5:15 pm.

Deputy Commissioner R Selvamani, and Superintendent of Police G K Mithun Kumar were there at the airport at the time of landing. When contacted, Deputy Commissioner R Selvamani said, Indian Air Force team does testing in various parts of the country. As per the protocol, the plane landed at Shivamogga airport, and left for Delhi after some time.

The plane, which has the capacity to ferry 180 passengers left Delhi around 11:45 am and reached Shivamogga around 2:15 pm. The airport chief operating officer D M Purvimath greeted the crew of the plane headed by Indian Air Force group captain Hudda.

Purvimath said, for the first time in Karnataka, an Indian Air Force plane has been used for testing purpose in a new airport. Generally, commercial planes are used for this purpose. But, we had to wait for three months for commercial planes, he added.