New Delhi/Bengaluru, April 24 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, who is also Bengaluru Development Minister, met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi and discussed the height restrictions being imposed around defence airports in Bengaluru.

Raising concerns about the impact of these restrictions on development in several parts of the city, Shivakumar urged the Defence Minister to consider a balanced approach that ensures aviation safety while supporting Bengaluruâ??s growth, the Deputy Chief Minister's office said in a statement.

Submitting a letter with the demand to Rajnath Singh during the meeting, Shivakumar also brought to his attention the letters previously written by the Karnataka government to the Central government on the same issue.

In his letter, the Deputy Chief Minister cited "the excessive restrictions imposed by the authorities of the defence airports in Bengaluru while granting NOC for construction within the 20km range of the airports as per the prevailing Rules".

"Bengaluru is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, and HAL airport is located in the core area of Bengaluru, where there is a huge demand for development, and the additional restrictions being imposed are hampering the development in the areas around the airport. Letters have been written in this regard to the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation; the Secretary, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence and the Defence Secretary, Ministry of Defence (copies attached). I request you to kindly look into the issue and direct the concerned to take necessary action to resolve the same in the interest of both the flight safety and development demands of the city," he said.

Presently, there are four airports functioning in Bengaluru, including the IAF's Yelahanka airbase. Authorities concerned need to seek NOC from these airport authorities as per the rules before granting permissions for construction.

The Greater Bengaluru Authority has brought to the notice of the state government the more stringent restrictions that are being imposed by the defence authorities while granting NOCs. In order to sort out the issues and expedite the no-objection certificate clearance process, meetings were conducted with the representatives of the airports in Bengaluru.

The authorities representing the defence airports informed that under rule 5(2) of the G.S.R 751(E), the authorised officer of the defence airports are allowed to impose additional restrictions and hence, they are restricting the height based on their calculations.

/IANS