We will negotiate with BIAL, HAL: Yeddyurappa

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BS Reporter / New Delhi June 2, 2008, 17:47 IST

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today said that he was committed to negotiating with the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) over keeping the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) airport open following high court directions. "I will be complying with the high courts direction that we renegotiate with BIAL, in order to reopen HAL," he said in his first press interaction in Delhi after winning assembly polls in Karnataka. The HAL airport was closed on May 28 as per a contract with BIAL, that as soon as the new airport was functional, HAL would be closed. The court directions came after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed asking that the HAL airport also be open. Earlier negotiations have not been successful and Yeddyurappa said that he would be taking the Centre's help on the matter

Yeddyurappa also created a stir saying that he would be following the "Gujarat model" of development for his state going so far as to say that he would be sending a delegation headed by a minister to study development projects in Gujarat. When asked whether this was the "Modi model" Yeddyurappa said that it was the "Atal Behari Vajpayee model of development."

Pointing out that BJP had won an unprecedented 17 out of the 28 assembly seats in Bangalore city, he said that a special thrust would be given for the capital of Karnataka. "It will be developed into a global city in the true sense with the infrastructural facilities of global standards," he said, adding that his government would come out with a special agenda for Bangalore infrastructure development very soon.

Significantly he said that one of his top priorities would be to take up corruption cases of the previous governments. "Immediately I will take up the issue of corruption. I will give top priority (to it). I am not going to tolerate corruption," Yeddyurappa, said.

At the same time, Yeddyurappa said his government believed in following the path of cooperation instead of confrontation. He lashed out at JD(S), led by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, for the "unethical political activities" denying him the opportunity to hold chief ministership for 20 months under a power sharing agreement.