Saudi-Mangalore direct flight: MP Jayaprakash Hegde expresses optimism, Says he will take up issue

Jayaprakash Hegde, Member of Parliament, has assured that he will take up the issue of Mangalore-Saudi direct flight with the Union Ministers and others concerned and speed up the process.

A delegation of Coastaldigest.com, led by Mohammed Ashraf, Editor-in-chief, ‘Coastal Mirror’ monthly, visited Mr. Hegde at his residence in Bangalore on Thursday requesting him to consider the long pending demand of NRIs from coastal districts of Karnataka living in Saudi Arabia of having direct flight services between Mangalore and Saudi.

Mr.Ashraf submitted a feasibility report to Mr. Hegde briefing him about the requests made to Union Ministers and other authorities in the past and explained the need and scope of having direct Mangalore-Saudi air services. Mr. Hegde was told about the problem of short vacation duration of many NRIs who many a time give home visit a skip because in the absence of direct flight services and through connecting flights, travel itself consumes 3-4 days. Owing to Saudi regulations, it is difficult for family members escpecially ladies and the old and weak to travel on their own and hence they too miss out on visiting India as they need someone to drop them more often than not. The families while traveling also suffer from problems of flight cancellations and delays, facing unnecessary hassles. Mr. Hegde was also enlightened about the fact that the direct flight would come as a boon to those low salary NRIs in Saudi who do not frequent to Mangalore often because of the expenses that connecting flights involve.

Mr. Ashraf told Mr. Hegde that in addition to about 200,000 people from Dakshina Kannada district living in Saudi, people from Kasaragod and Kanningad areas besides areas like Chikmagalur and Madikeri are also present in the Arab nation in good numbers. A direct flight to Mangalore will benefit them all and assured the MP of advance bookings for flights for a year.

Mr. Hegde, who has played a key role in helping Mangalore Airport get the international status and in the initiation of the Bangalore-Mangalore-Karwar train, said that he has already spoken to Union Ministers P Chidambaram and Vayalar Ravi and both have given positive response in this regard. He assured that he will also meet the Union Civil Aviation Minister and other concerned officials and try to speed up the process. He expressed optimism about the Saudi-Mangalore service starting soon, since Mangalore has already been declared an international airport.

Upon an invitation from Mr. Ashraf on behalf of NRIs in Saudi, Mr. Hegde also assured that he will visit Saudi Arabia in January.

‘Honesty in politics itself an achievement’

Mr. Hegde on the occasion shared his views on the current political scenario, the road ahead for international air connectivity to Mangalore, Sonia Gandhi’s recent visit to the coastal city besides other issues. Excerpts from the brief interview:

What are the sectors that you think must come in now that the international status tag has been given to Mangalore Airport?

When I go to Delhi next time I will meet the Union Civil Aviation Minister and discuss the Saudi-Mangalore sector. Now that Mangalore Airport has got the international tag, I am optimistic that concerned authorities will oblige for the Mangalore-Saudi services.

Primarily, the gulf region needs to be connected well as most of our people work there. Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman, the UAE, besides other gulf countries must be directly connected to Mangalore. People from the United States and other parts of the world must also be able to come here directly, instead of changing flights.

Has the issue of Customs harassment of NRIs at Mangalore Airport come to your notice?

Some people have said that there is harassment taking place at Mangalore Airport but so far no one has given me a proper complaint. Unless there is a specific complaint, I don’t think I will be able to take up the issue. I have spoken to a few officers but if there is a specific complaint, I can speak to the Finance Ministry to take action against the concerned officers. If an allegation is generalized, it is difficult to pin point the culprits. It can lead to unnecessary harassment of honest customs officers then.

Do you think the objective behind the Mangalore visit of AICC Chief Sonia Gandhi has been achieved?

Yes, because there is enthusiasm among the workers and the cadre. It has definitely helped. Before she came, it also helped that we got the International status to Mangalore Airport and the train to Karwar. In fact all of us had tried. But because of the PIL, there was acceleration of the process.

Talking about the upcoming Assembly elections, the BJP says that although the Udupi Chikmagalur by poll where you won from the Congress were a sour experience, sweet news followed in the MLC elections where BJP did well in Graduates and Teachers constituencies, backing its victory claim in upcoming Assembly elections stating that voters who voted for MLC candidates were not illiterate voters. What do you have to say about it?

In the elections that they won, literate voters voted, and in the elections that I won, the voters were not educated? (smiles) I don’t think my voters were not educated voters. There is a difference between literate and educated. The BJP cannot say that my voters were illiterate. They were mature voters who know whom to vote and why to vote. I don’t think it is right on their part to pass such comments.

Most of the time what happens in Graduates and Teachers constituencies, the other parties do not prepare well. But still, this time in the Graduates and Teachers constituencies, Congress came very close. Otherwise they do not take part in the elections properly. They don’t register voters. But this time they have given a good fight.

The word that did rounds after you won the Udupi Chikmagalur bypoll was that it was the personal image of JP hedge that played a role in the victory. It was said the victory was of JP Hegde the person rather than that of the Congress…

Thanks for the compliment. But party also has a share in the victory. The united effort of leaders, and party workers was equally important.

Ms. Gandhi in her Mangalore speech advised Congress leaders to put an end to their differences. Do differences exist in party leaders still?

The issue of differences has been sorted out. Everybody is going together. Nobody is giving statements against each other. It certainly gives a picture that all our leaders have sorted out their differences.

What is your opinion about the return of SM Krishna?

It will give boost to the party. He has a good image in the urban areas. He has in the past helped the party to win more seats in urban areas. I don’t know if he will contest the Assembly elections. He has not decided on that. But he will certainly give a boost to the image of the party.

There are scams and allegations of corruption in huge dimensions surfacing everywhere. How difficult do you think it is to be honest in politics?

It is very difficult. Being honest itself is an achievement in politics. If the people decide to change the existing system, I think it is not difficult to bring about a change in politics.

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