Siddaramaiah meets Rajnath; seeks defence corridors, land transfer and IAF air show for Dasara | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: A delegation led by chief minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy DK Shivakumar and some cabinet colleagues met Union defence minister Rajnath Singh Wednesday and sought central support for a wide range of proposals — from setting up two defence industrial corridors and securing defence land for major infrastructure work in Bengaluru, to hosting an Indian Air Force (IAF) air show during this year’s Mysuru Dasara celebrations.In a letter to Singh, Siddaramaiah urged the Centre to establish a defence industrial corridor each in North and South Karnataka, like those announced in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in 2018.While requesting “similar support”, Siddaramaiah, citing the state’s strong aerospace base, wrote: “The proposed corridors will leverage this existing ecosystem and infrastructure, further cementing Karnataka’s reputation as the defence capital of India.”Karnataka contributes 67% of India’s aircraft and helicopter production and 25% of the aircraft and spacecraft industry, he said. The corridors would aid the ‘Make in India’ initiative, strengthen industry-academia ties, and create skilled jobs.Siddaramaiah also detailed the industrial capabilities of Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Vijayapura in the north — home to major firms and the country’s first precision manufacturing SEZ — and South Karnataka, which includes HAL’s headquarters, TASL’s C130 assembly line, and a hi-tech aerospace park in Devanahalli.Siddaramaiah also requested the defence ministry to expedite transfer of land for three Bengaluru infrastructure projects: Twin tunnel project from Hebbal to Silk Board, a link road to Sarovara Layout, and Phase-3 of Namma Metro at Goraguntepalya. For the tunnel project, he wrote, “A vital ramp near Hebbal necessitates 2 acres of defence land, previously part of the Hebbal Defence Dairy Farm.”The link road requires 6 acres, while 7 acres of defence land is needed for the Metro corridor. “The construction… will give huge benefit to the public, as it would solve long pending traffic issues at Goraguntepalya junction,” he noted.Siddaramaiah also invited IAF to conduct aerobatic displays during Mysuru Dasara. “I request an aerial display by Surya Kiran, Sarang and other aerobatic teams,” he wrote, recalling the public enthusiasm during similar shows in 2017, 2019, and 2023. “Like every year, programmes are being planned to showcase the rich cultural heritage and tradition of Karnataka. In this context, the state government intends to organise an air show as part of the Dasara celebrations in Mysuru,” he wrote.