K'taka Minister demands international status for Hubballi, Belagavi airports after Madurai move
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Infrastructure Development Minister M B Patil on Wednesday expressed displeasure over the Centre declaring Madurai airport as an international airport while not extending a similar status to Hubballi and Belagavi airports in Karnataka, calling the move "discriminatory and unacceptable".
The minister said the central government may have taken this decision keeping the upcoming Tamil Nadu elections in mind.
However, its indifferent attitude towards Karnataka’s demand is questionable, he added.
"The Narendra Modi-led central government has declared Madurai Airport in Tamil Nadu as an international airport but has not taken a similar decision regarding Hubballi and Belagavi airports in Karnataka. This reflects a discriminatory approach and is not acceptable. How can it be butter for them and lime for us?” he questioned in a statement.
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The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal to declare Madurai airport as an international airport.
Madurai is a prominent city in Tamil Nadu, and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the decision was taken keeping in view the aspirations of the people of that city.
Patil recalled that a letter had been written on June 24, 2025, to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, requesting that Hubballi and Belagavi airports be upgraded to international status, as this would greatly benefit the North Karnataka region.
"In this context, Union Minister and Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi, Belagavi MP Jagadish Shettar, and Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai should raise their voices and stand firmly for the interests of the State," he urged.
The minister stressed that at least one of the two airports — Hubballi or Belagavi — should be declared an international airport.
"If both are upgraded, it would be even more welcome. The central government must recognise the State’s requirement," Patil added.
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Former diplomat Sandhu sworn in as Delhi LG; says development of city duty of all
New Delhi (PTI): Former diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu was sworn in as the 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in a ceremony held at Lok Niwas on Wednesday.
Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya administered the oath of office and secrecy to Sandhu in the presence of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and other dignitaries.
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Sandhu described Delhi as his 'Karmbhumi', noting that he attended college and university in the city before serving here as a foreign service officer.
"There are many stakeholders and its duty of all of us to work together for development of Delhi," he said.
He added that while the problems facing the capital are well known, there are no automatic solutions and all stakeholders will have to work together to address them.
The new Lieutenant Governor paid his tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and offered prayers at the Rakabganj Gurudwara and Prachin Hanuman temple in Connaught Place. He succeeds Vinai Kumar Saxena, who has been appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.
A 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Sandhu was one of the most experienced Indian diplomats on United States affairs. He served in the Indian Mission in Washington, D.C., multiple times and was India's ambassador to the United States from February 2020 to January 2024.
The 63-year-old former diplomat had also been at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations from July 2005 to February 2009.
He unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha polls in 2024 on the BJP ticket from the Amritsar constituency in Punjab.
