CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu government is caught in a dilemma over the expansion of the Coimbatore airport after the Airport Authority of India sought only 365 acres of land from the 627.89 acres acquired by the state under the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act 1997 on April 13, 2017. This would mean that the state will have to denotify 262.89 acres of land acquired for extension of the runway at the Coimbatore airport. The state government feels this will create confusion among the willing and unwilling landowners and they will be discouraged to part with their lands.
SP Velumani, Minister for Municipal Administration, Rural Development and Implementation of Special Programme, has urged Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu to reconsider the decision and allow acquisition of 627.89 acres in the larger interest of business growth of the area. Interestingly the government has sanctioned a sum of Rs 75.18 crore towards compensation to landowners in Block Number 7 of Uppilipalayam village and action has been taken to pass awards.
“At this juncture, the AAI has requested reduction of total area to be acquired without mentioning any valid reasons putting the district administration under strain,” he said.But the AAI officials clarified that they have reduced the total area of land as the cost of land was too high and it would result in demolishing many homes. “Initially, we gave them two options. One is building two runways and another going in for single runway with lot of amenities.
Later on, this was also revised and two more options were given. They were asked to go in for single runway extension or go in for the expansion of airport without runway extension,” a senior AAI official told Express.
“The entire decision rests with the state,” he said. To a query whether the land is acquired under the new land acquisition Act, he said it was the state which had to decide as it came under their purview. The purpose of expansion and extension of runway is to cater to the needs of the industrialists and the exporters in and around Coimbatore district and the neighbouring district as their transportation of manufactured goods would become easier due to nearby cargo service at the Coimbatore airport itself as they are now depending on Cochin airport.
The move would result in the district administration revising the land plan schedule which would require enormous manpower to redo surveys, gather data, redo assessment of crops and buildings, and to organise private negotiations with landowners, said Velumani in a letter to Suresh Prabhu.