Plea in court to stop land acquisition for city airport

Chennai, Sept. 18: A petition has been filed in the Madras high court challenging the government order on the proposed expansion of the Chennai airport and also the establishment of a Greenfield airport on the fringes of the city, by acquiring land in Kancheepuram district. Mr E.V. Perumalsamy Reddy, director of EVP Housing, Chennai, has in his petition urged the court to quash the government order dated July 9, 2007 claiming that the acquisition of land in Kancheepuram would not only cause huge losses to his firm which had bought land in the area but also to several middle class families which had also purchased plots at Tharapakkam, Kolapakkam and Gerugambakkam in suburban Chennai.

He submitted that the firm had bought the land at an enormous cost for developing layouts and providing housing to people. Being affordable, the plots came as a boon to the middle-income group, which could not afford to buy houses within the city. As the land was in disuse and was unfit for constructing houses, the firm had to develop it before handing it over to the buyers.

The entire area was prone to floods when the Adyar river was in spate. And so the firm had spent huge sums of money on developing the land and making it fit for building houses. He said the firm had obtained permission for developing the layout which it had called EVP Town and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority had approved the project.

He was shocked when the government passed the order which said the existing airport at Meenambakkam would be expanded by acquiring land in these parts, and he had sought clarification from the CMDA as to whether his land was included.

The CMDA had in its letter replied that his property did not form part of the proposed acquisition. So, the firm had proceeded with its developmental activities. But the government later cancelled the G.O and issued a fresh order in which the CMDA was directed to acquire land in the area where his project was taking shape.

Several landowners who had obtained loans from banks and purchased the plots in his housing project would suffer as result, he contended and urged the court to peruse government records and quash the G.O.

He pointed out that according to the order the all-legislative party leaders’ meeting held under the chairmanship of the chief minister on May 22, 2007, had proposed to acquire 1069.99 acres of land in the villages of Manapakkam, Kolapakkam, Gerugambakkam and Tharapakkam in Sriperumbudur taluk of Kancheepuram district for expanding the Chennai airport. Also, 4820.66 acres of lands would be acquired for setting up a Greenfield airport.

The high court posted the case to September 27 for hearing.

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