Dharwad Utsav to be annual affair

Dharwad Utsav to be annual affair
Business Standard Reporter / Chennai

(photo source:dharwadutsav.com)
Dharwad November 24, 2006

Egged on by the tremendous success of Dharwad Utsav and the response from the cultural circles and people at large, the Dharwad district administration has decided to make Dharwad Utsav a regular annual feature.

Dharwad Deputy Commissioner M S Srikar, who spearheaded the Dharwad Utsav-2006, said a good beginning had been made in the Suvarna Karnataka year and from next year onwards the festival will be on a still larger scale on the lines of Mysore Dasara, Bangalore Habba and Hampi Utsav.

For the funds, he said sponsorship from the corporate sector and the government will be sought. The three-day Dharwad Utsav-2006 was held on November 17, 18 and 19 was a grand success.

“The aim was to create a brand image and it has been proved that we have the capacity to organise the event in a grand manner,” said Srikar.

The state government had sanctioned Rs 15 lakh for the three-day Utsav being held after seven long years. The festival offered a veritable treat to the people with a series of events to showcase the spirit of Dharwad.

Actor Naseeruddin Shah hogged the limelight with his performance in his play 'Ismat Apa Ke Naam' based on the life of the Urdu short story writer Ismat Chughtai.

The events were held simultaneously at 13 venues in Dharwad and Hubli. Dance, drama, music, painting, art exhibition, folk, seminars, poetry meet, mimicry and processions added colour and fervour to the festival.

It proved to be a people's festival with a large number of people thronging the venues on all the three days.

Leading litterateurs, dancers, musicians, painters and artistes participated in the festival. The twin cities wore a festive look with buildings and monuments being illuminated.

An exhibition of musical instruments and photographs at the residence of Hindustani exponent Gangubai Hanagal in Deshpande Nagar of Hubli was a big hit.

The festival, besides providing a feast to the connoisseurs also provided a platform for talented youngsters to prove their mettle.

The Karnatak College grounds provided a perfect venue for the events in the backdrop of the imposing monumental main building, which was illuminated.

Airport project may be delayed further

Airport project may be delayed further
TIMES NEWS NETWORK - M L Kapur

(photo source: AAI)
23 Nov, 2006 2357hrs IST

HUBLI: The Hubli airport expansion project has taken a new turn with the state government directing the district administration to submit two fresh proposals envisaging it as a national and international facility.

This may further delay the expansion of the airport as the state government has all along been pushing to upgrade it as a night landing compliant allweather national airport capable of handling big aircraft like Airbus A-320.

As per the revised master plan for expansion of the airport prepared by Airports Authority of India (AAI) in September, 446 acres of additional land is required to upgrade it as a national airport.

At present, it can take only up to 50-seater aircraft. Now, the district administration has been asked to submit two proposals to the infrastructure development department — one for 446 acres and another for 650 acres of additional land to develop it as national or international airport depending on the final decision.

This emerged at a high-level meeting convened in Bangalore on Wednesday by infrastructure development minister B Sriramulu.

Revenue and district incharge minister Jagadish Shettar, Dharwad deputy commissioner M S Shrikar and AAI officials attended.

It was felt that once 446 acres of land is acquired and the airport developed to handle bigger aircraft, there will be a problem to acquire additional 204 acres land later on if the government wants to upgrade it as an international airport.

The deputy commissioner has been asked to submit the proposals to the government within a week. He was also asked to work out details for land acquisition in consultations with the 100-odd families affected by the project.

Shrikar said in fact AAI had submitted both the plans in September itself. However, he clarified that in both the cases the number of houses affected was the same as the additional land for international airport proposal was agricultural land towards the bypass.

Meanwhile, though night landing facilities for 50-seater aircraft have been provided at the airport, so far no airline has come forward to start night services from Hubli to Bangalore or Mumbai.

Recently, Air Deccan extended its Mumbai-Belgaum service up to Hubli, which will fly nonstop to Mumbai on its return trip.

But it still remains to be seen whether there is enough traffic to sustain the new service. Kingfisher Airlines also plans to start one service in the morning from Bangalore to Hubli and back.

Another service will be from Bangalore to Delhi, which will stop at Hubli on the return trip in the evening to take Bangalore-bound passengers.