Airport land acquisition opposed

Staff Reporter

TAMBARAM: The Anakaputhur Municipality on Monday passed a unanimous resolution, urging the State government not to acquire land from the local body for the proposed Chennai airport modernisation. During a routine meeting of the Municipality, all the 18 councillors assented to the resolution that the State government should drop the proposal of acquiring land from areas within its jurisdiction.

According to B. Velayudham, Chairman of the Municipality, 883 structures, including four temples, a mosque, 558 pucca houses, 156 tiled houses, 156 thatched houses and some public buildings would have to be demolished if land is acquired for the proposed airport expansion project. As this would have a severe effect on the lives of a few thousand people, they decided to appeal to the government to drop the move, Mr. Velayudham said.

Minister's assurance

Praful Patel, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, has written to Sitaram Yechury, MP and CPI(M) leader, that the grievances of people living around the Chennai airport were being looked into. In April, Mr. Yechury had submitted to Mr. Patel, a bunch of petitions from people living around the Chennai airport.

The petitions had expressed the residents' apprehensions about the proposed project. Following this, the Union Minister had replied earlier this month that the matter was being examined.

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