How govt hoodwinked the public
R K Misra
The new airport would start functioning by “May-end’’ and BIAL was “not agreeable to keep the existing (HAL) airport open’’. So said civil aviation secretary Ashok Chawla. This was a government representative announcing the decision to close HAL airport after a short meeting with BIAL.
It seems like Chawla was making this announcement on behalf of BIAL as its spokesperson. The tone was as if the government of India was begging BIAL.
These so-called negotiations were forced upon the government by an order of the Karnataka High Court and, subsequently, the Supreme Court. All along, it appeared as though government lawyers were making a case for BIAL.
When the high court forced their hands by asking them to negotiate, they had two friendly meetings among the shareholders of BIAL (of which the government owns 26%) in the guise of negotiations, without information, consultation or participation of other stakeholders such as the public, airlines and cargo companies.
An analysis of events will establish that it was a well-planned and calculated game played by the government. When public anger made parties fearful of losing votes during the Karnataka elections, the date of the airport opening was postponed to May 11, just the day after polls. A coincidence?
When the high court ordered negotiations, the first meeting was held just before the first round of elections. After the meeting, it was announced that 80-seater planes would be allowed to fly from HAL. The public felt happy as some grievances were solved. This was another clever ploy to give hope and fool the public. The moment the first round of polls (including in Bangalore) was over, negotiations were concluded the next day at a meeting, without any minutes, and the government announced the closure of HAL airport.
The opening date was conveniently slotted for May 23, which is just after the polls (to avoid the Election Commission’s wrath) and two days before the high court opens after the summer recess. This denies the public an opportunity to expose the negotiation drama and request the HC for an interim stay order.
Surprisingly, no leader is available for comment now. This is our democracy, where the public is being duped by seasoned politicians playing a well-orchestrated drama.
On May 5, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to consider a citizen group’s demand to keep the existing airport operational, given the apprehensions over reaching the new airport located 40 km from the city.
(The writer is winner of The Times of India’s Lead India initiative. These are his personal views).
4 comments
I don't subscribe to views expressed by RK Mishra. His views are very narrow on this subject and looks he is very very concenred about the HAL airport closure. I can sense the vested intersts are working over time in keepin the old airport. Having said I am not advocating on behalf of BIAL.
I would like to ask RK Mishra;
If he is true leader why don't he fight for BMIC project. ? Why can't he file a PIL for early completion of this project ?This project is more usefull large population than airport. Is he capable of fighting against Gowda & Sons ?
Also why not he file PIL's for traffic congestions we are facing daily. ?
Why not for earlier completion of Bangalore Metro ? Counter PIL's against the people who are againt this projetc ?
I can go on ...
So, he is not our leader. What ever happend in TOI lead india initative was just gmick and no value for ordinary people.!
Unless he fights for ordinary citizens he can't be leader ..
Dear Prasad,
Let me make it very clear that i m not for RK Misra or against him. I am only a admirer of his single handed efforts in WHATEVER LITTLE he has done for Bangalore and its ORDINARY CITIZENS till date.
I completely disagree with you on all the things in your comments. Let me tacke them one by one.
1. I can sense the vested intersts - What vented interest are you talking about. Would you please mind sharing them with me.To me the only vested interest is the common cause of public inconvenience. Isn't that a cause which affects ordinary citizens like you and me.
2. Is he capable of fighting against Gowda & Sons ?
He is like you and me. He is not a super hero or a goonda to fight with anyone. He works alongwith the government in getting things done and has even worked with GOWDA's son Kumaraswamy in making things better on various infrastructure related projects in Bangalore. Are only VIPs going to use various PPP roads that he got constructed? Its ORDINARY CITIZENS like yiu and me who are using those roads and bridges on a daily basis.
3. What ever happend in TOI lead india initative was just gmick and no value for ordinary people.!
Please explain to me the gmick you see in Lead India. While i can accept your point that it was done by a commercial organization and they would have had vested interest in coming out with such an idea but the participants in there were all simply great.The works they have been doing in their respective capacities are overwhelming. and believe me all those works again are far ORDINARY CITIZENS like you and me.
RK Misrs on his own has been doing these things for many years now. LEAD INDIA happened only last year.
I would request you to do a fact finding before you make such kind of remarks on anyone who is trying hard to make a difference to ORDINARY CITIZEN's life.
May i also request you to kindly share with me a worthwhile thing that you have done for ORDINARY CITIZENS except writing beautiful english on blogs.
I am submitting that i have not done any such things.
Dear Prasad,
Let me make it very clear that i m not for RK Misra or against him. I am only a admirer of his single handed efforts in WHATEVER LITTLE he has done for Bangalore and its ORDINARY CITIZENS till date.
I completely disagree with you on all the things in your comments. Let me tacke them one by one.
1. I can sense the vested intersts - What vented interest are you talking about. Would you please mind sharing them with me.To me the only vested interest is the common cause of public inconvenience. Isn't that a cause which affects ordinary citizens like you and me.
2. Is he capable of fighting against Gowda & Sons ?
He is like you and me. He is not a super hero or a goonda to fight with anyone. He works alongwith the government in getting things done and has even worked with GOWDA's son Kumaraswamy in making things better on various infrastructure related projects in Bangalore. Are only VIPs going to use various PPP roads that he got constructed? Its ORDINARY CITIZENS like yiu and me who are using those roads and bridges on a daily basis.
3. What ever happend in TOI lead india initative was just gmick and no value for ordinary people.!
Please explain to me the gmick you see in Lead India. While i can accept your point that it was done by a commercial organization and they would have had vested interest in coming out with such an idea but the participants in there were all simply great.The works they have been doing in their respective capacities are overwhelming. and believe me all those works again are far ORDINARY CITIZENS like you and me.
RK Misrs on his own has been doing these things for many years now. LEAD INDIA happened only last year.
I would request you to do a fact finding before you make such kind of remarks on anyone who is trying hard to make a difference to ORDINARY CITIZEN's life.
May i also request you to kindly share with me a worthwhile thing that you have done for ORDINARY CITIZENS except writing beautiful english on blogs.
I am submitting that i have not done any such things.
The article is superficial and very much in tune with all the "breaking news" exposes we see on tv: no real substance and only designed to get a rise.
re mr. misra: i think he is more page3 than front page material.
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