CHENNAI: Expansion of Coimbatore Airport was the main point of discussion when Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani met the Central Minister for Civil Aviation, Hardeep Singh Puri, in New Delhi on Thursday. Velumani handed over a memorandum to the minister in which he elaborated about the revised master plan. He requested the minister to allow State to go forward with the original plan of extending the runway and construction of passenger terminal by acquiring 605 acres.
“After conducting a site inspection, AAI and district officials have informed me that 541.89 acres is required for airport development and 63.78 acres for a 60-m wide approach road. It will be too late to alter the plan as it has taken more than 12 years for land acquisition,” he said in the letter. A sum of Rs 264 crore has been allocated as compensation for landowners in blocks 1, 7 and 11 and distribution of these funds have started, he added.”If the plan is revised now, landowners might seek compensation under new rehabilitation and resettlement act, which will add further financial stress to the government. An additional 5.76 acres of land near blocks 9 and 10 will be difficult to acquire as it doesn’t come under the notified plan,” said Velumani.