Team Mangalorean - Puttur
from Vishal Nekkilady

Puttur: During their respective tenures, both chief ministers B S Yeddyurappa and D V Sadananda Gowda made several chopper-hopping trips to Dakshina Kannada district.

They have landed at the Mary Hill helipad many times. The makeshift helipads at B C Road, Mottetadka in Puttur, Subrahmanya, Malnad in Sullia and Kavu have seen VIP landings in recent years.

Earlier, whenever the chief ministers had to fly to Puttur, the helicopters used to land at Mottetadka, but in the recent past, VIPs have used the St Philomena College ground to land for better space and convenience.

The locals, the BJP workers in particular, had appealed to the former CM to have a permanent helipad for this town. Accordingly, it was proposed to develop the old Mottetadka venue into a full-fledged helipad. The public works department officials from here prepared a plan for constructing a helipad with a stadium-kind of a building around, at a cost of Rs 25 lakh.

And, misfortune struck, with CM Yeddyurappa being forced to resign. The plan got into cold storage. Later when erstwhile Puttur MLA Sadananda Gowda himself became the chief minister, his partymen met him and reminded him about BSY's promise, Gowda said he was committed to the word given by his predecessor.

That was over six months ago. No grants were made nor was there any progress in the plan. Now the chief minister himself is not sure in remaining in his seat for long.

That has kept the people here wondering if there could not be a jinx with the very mention of a helipad.