Belagavi Airport: BJP MP urges action against airlines for halting operations on profitable routes
New Delhi (PTI): Karnataka BJP MP Iranna Kadadi on Friday raised the issue of dwindling air connectivity at Belagavi airport in the Rajya Sabha, urging the government to take strict action against airlines that have discontinued services despite high passenger demand.
Raising the matter during Zero Hour in the Upper House, Kadadi pointed out that while Belagavi was supposed to be connected to 13 cities through five airlines under the Udaan-3 scheme, connectivity has now been reduced to just five cities, served by two airlines.
"Airlines only provide services until they get viability gap funding or subsidy from the government. As soon as the subsidy expires, they stop flying," he said.
The MP highlighted that despite the end of the Udaan-3 scheme, passenger numbers remained robust.
The airport recorded 3,40,300 passengers in 2024-25, marking a 9 per cent increase over the previous year. Load factors on routes to Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad ranged between 85 per cent and 95 per cent.
"When flights were running at more than 90 per cent capacity and were providing benefits even without a subsidy, it is wrong to stop service through airlines," Kadadi said, questioning the decision to halt operations on profitable routes.
Built by the Royal Air Force in 1942, Belagavi airport serves a strategically important region bordering Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa.
The city hosts major defence establishments, including the Maratha Light Infantry, ITBP, Commando Training Centre and Air Force units. It is also an educational, medical and industrial hub.
The central government is currently expanding the airport with a new terminal building worth Rs 262.64 crore and an apron costing Rs 25.98 crore.
Kadadi urged the government to restore flights from Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Indore and Jaipur for the convenience of security personnel and the general public, emphasising that the high load factor justified continued operations.
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Extensive efforts made to expand medical education infrastructure, Lok Sabha told
New Delhi (PTI): The Union government has made concerted efforts to expand medical college infrastructure under various centrally-sponsored schemes over the past decade to make medical education more affordable, Minister of State for Health Prataprao Jadhav told the Lok Sabha on Friday.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare administers a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district and referral hospitals with preference to underserved areas and aspirational districts, where there is no existing government or private medical college, Jadhav said in a written reply.
A total of 157 medical colleges have been approved across districts. Further, support has also been provided for upgrade of existing state and central government medical colleges to increase the number of MBBS (undergraduate) and postgraduate (PG) seats under another CSS scheme.
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Under these schemes, an additional 4,977 MBBS seats and 8,058 PG seats have been approved in medical colleges across the country, Jadhav said.
According to the National Medical Commission (NMC), the number of medical colleges have increased by 111.36 per cent, from 387 in 2013-14 to 818 at present, he stated.
Further, the Lok Sabha was informed that MBBS seats have increased by 151.18 per cent, from 51,348 before 2013-14 to 128,976 at present, while PG seats have increased by 172.63 per cent, from 31,185 before 2014 to 85,020 currently, thereby contributing to improved accessibility to medical education.
The fee structure for MBBS courses differs from state to state in government and private medical colleges as per guidelines issued by state fee regulatory authorities. Further, the government continuously endeavours to make medical education more affordable and prevent commercialisation, Jadhav said.
In order to make medical education affordable and accessible in the country, the fee structure of government medical colleges is subsidised. In accordance with the provision of the Constitution (103rd Amendment Act, 2019), there is a reservation of 10 per cent in UG and PG medical seats for economically weaker sections.
Also, guidelines have been framed under Section 10 of National Medical Commission Act, 2019, for determination of fees and other charges in respect of 50 per cent of seats in private medical institutions and deemed to be universities which were issued by NMC on February 3, 2022.
However, the guidelines have been challenged in various courts and are sub judice, the reply read.
