Sun Dec 14 10:51:57 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text:

The article reports on the severely delayed construction of the Hassan airport in Karnataka, India. Despite land acquisition starting in 1966 and on-ground work beginning in 2021, progress remains minimal. The government has repeatedly stated the project is underway, with significant funds allocated, but only a small fraction has been spent in recent years. The project has faced numerous setbacks, including canceled agreements with private firms and stalled progress under various administrations. There is still no confirmed completion date.

Here’s the rewritten news article:

Hassan Airport Remains Grounded After Decades of Delays

Shivamogga, December 14, 2025 – The long-awaited Hassan airport, located approximately 190 kilometers from Bengaluru, remains mired in delays despite decades of planning and construction efforts. A report from The Hindu shows that, despite significant investment, progress on the airport has been painstakingly slow, raising concerns about the future of the project.

The airport project dates back to the 1960s, with initial land acquisition taking place in 1966. Actual construction began in 2021 but has yielded minimal results in the past four years.

Minister for Infrastructure Development M.B. Patil had assured in December 2023 that the airport would be completed by 2024-25. He cited an estimated project cost of ₹193.65 crore, with ₹164.47 crore already released at that time. However, in a recent response to a question posed by former minister H.D. Revanna, Mr. Patil revealed that only approximately ₹5 crore has been spent in the last two years.

“So far ₹193.6 crore had been released, and of that ₹169.73 crore had been spent,” M.B. Patil said in the interview.

The project has faced numerous hurdles over the years. An initial agreement with Jupiter Aviation Services Pvt Ltd, based on a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) model, was eventually cancelled. While other infrastructure projects in the region, such as the Shivamogga Airport, have been successfully completed and become operational, the Hassan airport remains a distant prospect.

Mr. Patil stated that work is “under progress” on the runway, taxiway, apron, passenger terminal building, and air traffic control building. However, he failed to provide a concrete timeline for the airport’s completion, leaving residents of Hassan with little hope that the airport will soon become a reality.

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