Karnataka cabinet approves construction of Hassan airport
Bengaluru, Jun 21: The Karnataka cabinet on Monday gave its approval for the construction of a greenfield domestic passenger airport at Hassan, at an estimated cost of Rs 193.65 crore.
"It will be for construction of a runway, passenger terminal, technical buildings, electrical substations, aviation equipment, among others," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basavaraj Bommai said after the cabinet meeting.
Considered as the dream project of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, who hails from Hassan district, the government had acquired 536 acres of land for the airport.
The foundation stone for the airport was laid by Gowda in 2007 at Boovanahalli on the outskirts of Hassan, when the JD(S)-BJP coalition was in power, but had not progressed.
Once operational, the airport is expected to boost tourism activities in the Hassan district.
The cabinet gave its administrative approval for construction of new buildings for 100 police stations at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore, Bommai, who is also the Home Minister, said.
A time limit of two years has been given for its completion.
The cabinet has also given its approval for The Karnataka Contingency Fund (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 which will enable enhancing the contingency fund from Rs 500 crore to Rs 2,500 crore for COVID and other related spendings.
Approval has also been given to bring in an amendment to the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961, to do away with multi-agency surveys to grant Transferable Development Rights (TDR) for those who lose land for various government projects.
"This is to prevent delays in granting TDR," Bommai said.
The cabinet has approved the Karnataka Municipalities (Recruitment of loaders and cleaners in City Municipal Councils, Town Municipal Councils and Town Panchayats) (Special) Rules 2021, to regularise loaders, cleaners, drivers, among others, as pourakarmikas (civic workers) were regularised in the past.
Approval has also been given for implementation of World Bank assisted Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project phase 2 and 3 in respect of 58 dams (world bank loan 70 per cent and state share 30 per cent) at an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore, the Minister said.
The cabinet has decided to constitute a sub-committee to draft the 'Karnataka State Water Policy'.
Other cabinet decisions include enhancing reservation for children of farmers and agriculture labourers in admission to Diploma in Agriculture, BSc agriculture and equivalent degree from existing 40 to 50 per cent and administrative approval for construction of building for Rani Chennamma University at Hirebagewadi village in Belagavi at an estimated cost of Rs 110 crore.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms lash parts of Uttarakhand; all districts put on high alert
Dehradun (PTI): Heavy rain and hailstorms accompanied by strong winds lashed several districts of Uttarakhand on Sunday morning, prompting the state administration to put all district authorities on high alert.
The sudden change in weather caused uprooted trees to block roads and disrupted power supply at various locations.
Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman chaired a review meeting with district officials to assess the situation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rain and thunderstorms at most places across all districts for Monday and Tuesday. Snowfall is expected in regions situated at altitudes of 4,000 metres and above.
An 'orange alert' remains in place for Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar. These districts are likely to witness isolated heavy rain, hailstorms, and intense to very intense spells of rain accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph, the IMD said.
The weather office predicted that maximum temperatures across the state are likely to fall by 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next three to four days. During the past 24 hours, maximum temperatures remained "markedly below normal" in the plains and ranged from "markedly" to "appreciably" below normal in the hilly regions.
Dehradun experienced dark, overcast skies early Sunday, creating night-like conditions during morning hours. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius, 5.3 degrees Celsius below the seasonal average.
For the state capital, the forecast predicts a partly to generally cloudy sky with a high of 31 degrees Celsius and a low of 19 degrees Celsius.
Significant rainfall was recorded across the state after 8.30 am on Sunday, with Jollygrant receiving 21.6 mm and Mohakampur recording 19.8 mm. Other areas, including Mukteshwar (15.0 mm), Mussoorie (13.4 mm), and Pithoragarh (8.5 mm), also saw measurable precipitation.
Secretary Suman directed officials to clear blocked roads on priority to ensure public convenience. Specific instructions were issued regarding the Char Dham Yatra, ordering that helicopter services must operate strictly according to weather conditions to ensure pilgrims' safety.
Isolated places in the remaining hilly districts are also expected to experience thunderstorms with lightning and intense rain spells.
