Its on: Work takes off at Devanahalli without fanfare

International airport work takes off quietly

Deccan Herald

No lavish ceremony, no promising speeches, no political guest appearances - the ground breaking ceremony of the long-awaited international airport at Devanahalli was a quiet, simple affair on Saturday morning.



No lavish ceremony, no promising speeches, no political guest appearances - the ground breaking ceremony of the long-awaited international airport at Devanahalli was a quiet, simple affair on Saturday morning.

Only a few small contractors from Larsen and Toubro Limited and Siemens AG performed a symbolic traditional puja at the premises before getting back to work.

According to Karnataka State Industrial and Investment Development Corporation (KSIIDC) Managing Director Vittala Murthy, the ‘ground breaking’ was a mere official formality, meant only for ‘filework’. “July 2 was mentioned as the official starting day only in the files. The work at the site had already begun a few weeks back. It does not count as an event for us,” Mr Murthy told Deccan Herald.


The initial work would include construction of sheds and offices in the site for workers and officials. However, the site may become the centre of celebrations soon, with many politicians and officials planning a visit in the coming weeks. Chief Minister Dharam Singh, presently in New Delhi is expected visit the site after he returns to Bangalore. So is Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel later this month.

“The decision to hold a function to mark their visits will be a political one, we will not be directly involved,” Mr Murthy added.

However, Saturday did kickstart a countdown. The Devanahalli International Airport has been given a deadline of 33 months from July 2.