Shifting Aero India venue to Goa: Political or logical?

The venue is much loved and the crowd as enthusiastic as ever, however, over the last two editions talks of shifting the venue for Aero India has disappointed many.

Bengaluru's Yelahanka Air Force Station has played host to the biennial Aero India show ever since its inception in 1996. The venue is much loved and the crowd as enthusiastic as ever, however, over the last two editions talks of shifting the venue for Aero India has disappointed many. Time and again, references to shifting the Aero India Show to Goa have been made and that has not gone down too well with either the government or the people. The fact that it is more political than anything has come as a dampener.

It was ironical that Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar who has time and again suggested that the venue be shifted to Goa was invited to inaugurate the 11th edition of Asia's premiere aero show. As if to add to the speculation Parrikar in his inaugural address said that the space at Yelahanka Air Force Station was becoming insufficient for the show. He said that despite increasing the access area by 10 percent, aircraft were falling short of space. It may be noted that his statement of the venue not having enough space comes at an edition where the numbers of display aircraft as well as participating firms have seen a dip. The
statement reeked of hints that Yelahanka is not the ideal venue according to him.

In January earlier this year, Parrikar didn't bat an eyelid when he suggested that Aero India could be shifted to Goa if Goans wanted it. He justified his statement by claiming that Goa had successfully hosted the Defense expo and hence both events could be held at the same place. The Goa government in 2016 tabled a bill on the floor of the House revealing that the state had already passed a resolution to give land in Quittol (Betul) on a permanent basis to host the two mega events.

The Goa government had identified land on the request of Manohar Parrikar. In 2016, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in a letter to Goa Chief Minister, Parsekar had requested to allot land in Goa for the Defence Expo and Aero India shows. Their argument was that since Goa is a tourist destination, such shows will be an added advantage. "Government of Goa may consider allotment of about 150 acres of land on the coastline which can accommodate 10,000 feet runway along the coast so that a permanent venue for conducting Def Expo and Aero India Show can be set up," Parrikar had said in 2016.

Bengaluru is home for HAL, BEL, BHEL, BEML, all the firms that continue to supply equipment, technology etc for the armed forces. Bengaluru has become synonymous with the Aero India being identified as the aeronautical capital of the country and a push to shift the venue to Goa is being looked at by stakeholders including the Karnataka government as unfair and merely political.

OneIndia News