CHENNAI: Vanathi Srinivasan, BJP MLA from Coimbatore South constituency, on Tuesday said CM MK Stalin has promised that the state government would hand over the land required for the expansion of Coimbatore airport to the Airports Authority of India without any conditions.
The BJP MLA told this to reporters at the secretariat after calling on the CM. “The expansion of the Coimbatore airport is important not only for the growth of Coimbatore but also for the neighbouring districts. There was a delay from the state government in acquiring land. The state government has now given compensation to the farmers who have given their land.
Today, the CM has conveyed that the state government will hand over the land required for Coimbatore airport expansion without any conditions. So far, the state government had laid certain conditions for handing over the land. I thank the CM for taking a decision on this vital demand from various sections of the people.”
Talking to TNIE, Vanathi Srinivasan recalled that she has been raising the airport expansion issue in the state Assembly for a long time and now, the issue has been resolved on a happy note. “Ministers Palanivel Thigarajan and Thangam Thennarasu have refused to accept my request on the land issue. During the Assembly session before the Lok Sabha election, Industries Minister TRB Rajaa gave a detailed reply saying the state government cannot hand over the land. Ten days ago, when CM visited Coimbatore, I made a personal request to him on this issue.”
Vanathi said, “We have also demanded a master plan for the region comprising the districts Coimbatore, Tiruppur, the Nilgiris, and Erode. The announcement about establishing the Coimbatore Development Authority is yet to become operational. The CM promised that he will look into this immediately. We have also placed many other demands to the CM.”
In the memorandum, Vananthi said the AAI is ready to spend Rs 1,300 crore for the expansion of the Coimbatore airport and other facilities.
Meanwhile, former CPM MP PR Natarajan charged Vanathi is acting like an ambassador for corporates. “Following the experience of the Kerala government on Thiruvananthapuram airport, I had urged the TN government to put a condition that the land should not be leased to any corporates. After this, the state government came up with the condition for handing over land,” Natarajan added.