Kolkata airport modernisation may steal a march over Chennai

Kolkata airport modernisation may steal a march over Chennai:

New Delhi, May 25 The modernisation of Kolkata airport could steal a march over Chennai. The public investment board meeting to take a view on the modernisation of Kolkata airport is scheduled to be held at the end of the month even as another date is being drawn up to hold the pre-Public Investment Board (PIB) meeting for the Chennai airport project.

Generally, the inter-Ministerial pre-PIB meeting is held to iron out any differences that various ministries have about the project. After the pre-PIB clearance, the project will have to get the nod from the Public Investment Board and finally the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs before work can begin.

Official sources told Business Line that the pre-PIB meeting for Chennai airport, which was earlier scheduled for May 12, was put off after the Ministry of Finance and Planning Commission sought more time. ‘Constant objections’

The Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, also raised the issue in a letter to the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, pointing out that it was “the constant objections” on the size and scale of the project being raised by the Commission that were responsible for the delay in the project.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has argued that it has drawn up plans for the airport keeping in mind the need of the country over the next two decades. The development work at Chennai airport is expected to cost Rs 1,808 crore. Sources indicated that consultations have been held with the State Government to acquire 1,069.99 acres of land and hand this to Airports Authority of India free-of-cost.

The Government has decided that the modernisation of both Chennai and Kolkata airports will be taken up by Airports Authority of India.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/05/26/stories/2008052651660300.htm

Chennai Airport expansion Work in 2months-Cheif Secretary

Plan panel pulled up for Chennai airport modernisation delay Months

Plan panel pulled up for Chennai airport modernisation delay
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: Parliament’s standing committee on transport and tourism has held the Planning Commission responsible for the delay in upgradation of the Kolkata and Chennai airports, and introducing backroom privatisation. The civil aviation ministry was asked to explain why it allowed the delay to continue. The parliamentary panel, headed by CPM’s Sitaram Yechury, blamed the Planning Commission for rejecting an agreement prepared by Airports Authority of India, according to which modernisation of Delhi airport would have been done in 48 months. It called officials of the plan panel, aviation ministry and AAI on Thursday to discuss modernisation of Kolkata, Chennai and 25 non-metro airports. It said the mess in Delhi airport was because the private company had started exploiting the airport commercially without providing facilities for passengers.

Airport development hangs fire

New Delhi: The parliamentary panel, headed by CPM’s Sitaram Yechury, expressed its displeasure over the delay in the modernisation of Chennai and Kolkata airports. Sources said the Planning Commission faced the brunt of the parliamentary panel’s displeasure. A member said the committee on infrastructure, headed by the Prime Minister, had decided more than two years ago that the Kolkata and Chennai airports would be modernised by the AAI. Airside modernisation was to be done by the AAI while the cityside was to be modernised through PPP route. The commission brought terminal modernisation to the PPP mode. It has prepared a concession agreement for Kolkata airport, where not only the cityside but even the terminal building, would be leased out to the private sector for 30 years.” TNN

Montek to brief PM on Delhi airport expansion

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia will brief Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the expansion of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi, plan panel sources said on Tuesday.

"Ahluwalia will write to the prime minister, giving details of his talks with the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) officials and measures that are being taken to decongest the airport," an official said.

Ahluwalia has been in regular touch with DIAL officials and last week even held a couple of meetings with GMR Infrastructure chief GM Rao and other officials responsible for the expansion of the airport.

Ahluwalia had a long review meeting with DIAL officials on May 12, where they discussed in detail the problems being faced by passengers due to the expansion work.

However, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel did not appreciate the meeting and wrote to Ahluwalia on May 13, blaming the Planning Commission for delay in modernisation of Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai airports.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=7f2c0802-914f-4542-93bd-a5d2acb4ab77&&Headline=PM+to+be+briefed+on+IGIA+expansion

Now, Comm okay with AAI’s Kolkata plan but objects

New Delhi, May 20 Days before its meeting with the parliamentary standing committee on civil aviation, the Planning Commission, in a project appraisal letter to thefinance ministry, has backed the Airport Authority of India’s (AAI) proposal for the modernisation of the Kolkata airport but reiterated its stand, including a review of the size of the new terminal.

In its appraisal letter to the secretary, expenditure, ministry of finance, who is also the chairman of the public investment board (PIB), just ahead of the meeting with the parliamentary panel on May 22, the commission has stated that it does not have any objections to the AAI’s plan for the modernisation and expansion of the Kolkata airport.

It is, however, stuck to its earlier demands. A senior official involved in the process told FE that the commission wants AAI to undertake the modernisation work in two phases and take a re-look at the issue of peak-hour traffic and construction of a terminal to handle 20 million passengers by 2016.

“We have said that we support the proposal but we want the AAI to look into the transportation issue. At present, the airport is not connected by metro rail. The AAI should ensure that as part of the modernisation process, the metro is be extended to connect the airport,” the official said.
The parliamentary panel intervened in the issue following a spat between the commission and civil aviation minister Praful Patel who alleged that the Kolkata modernisation project was delayed due to constant objections raised by the commission.

“The commission is more eager to put most of the modernisation projects on the PPP mode. They have not realised the mess they have created out of privatising the Delhi and Mumbai airports. They will be happy if we put the Kolkata and Chennai airports also on the PPP mode,” a senior Parliamentarian on the committee had said earlier.

Under pressure from the Left parties, the UPA government had to go back on its words and settle for the AAI modernising the Kolkata and Chennai airports instead of the government’s preference for taking up the projects under the PPP route.

Peeved over the delay in clearing the modernisation and expansion works at the Kolkata and Chennai airports and the mess that has been created of the privatisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports, the parliamentary panel headed by CPI-M Politburo member Sitaram Yechury had summoned both the Planning Commission and...

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Now--Comm-okay-with-AAI-s-Kolkata-plan-but-objects-to-scale/312299/

Bureaucratic bottlenecks come in way of projects

Date:19/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/biz/2008/05/19/stories/2008051950111600.htm
Back Business
Bureaucratic bottlenecks come in way of projects
For timely completion, developers and contractors need more help

The Civil Aviation Ministry and the Planning Commission, or more particularly Aviation Minister Praful Patel and the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman M. S. Ahluwalia, have had a spat over the delays in the implementation of the Delhi and Mumbai airport expansion projects.
This has also spilled over to the clearance for the expansion of the Kolkata and Chennai airports. In effect, it boils down to a blame game between the two authorities that should be ensuring the speedy completion of such critical infrastructure projects.
Though a sad reflection on the state of affairs as it is, this development also throws light on the systemic and bureaucratic bottlenecks in the execution of major infrastructure projects.
It should have come as some relief that the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad has got off the ground, though not without some hiccups. But they were quickly resolved, along with the other teething problems. The Bengaluru International Airport should open to traffic by the end of May.
A few problems however need to be resolved before then.
After making itself clear that there can be no reneging on signed agreements, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry wants to have the cake and eat it too — suggesting that the old HAL airport can also remain open to traffic, at least for the short haul or low cost airlines.
It may only be reflecting the views of the travelling public, or even the airport employees’ unions, but the authorities must have examined these aspects before signing any agreement.
At least now, the revised policy on airports does provide for a case-by-case sanction for airports within 150 km radius of existing one with both of them functioning.Policy framework
The new policy framework provides for what is called a steering committee to coordinate on airport projects.
Instead of airing their differences in public or accusing each other for the delays, all the agencies and ministries involved in such projects could get that apex forum set up swiftly to iron out these problems.
Though regular review of the projects is taking place and the private sector developers also get back to the ministries or the political leadership to find solutions to the problems they face, it may be much easier to handle it at the official level and early on to make sure molehills do not become mountains.
Instead of having individual reviews, an inter-ministerial panel can perhaps come up with faster solutions that find wider acceptance and quick implementation.
What happened in the recent “exchanges” was Mr. Patel blaming the Planning Commission for raising repeated objections and raising queries on the Delhi airport as well as the plans for Kolkata and Chennai, with Mr. Ahluwalia emphasising that these routine reviews do raise such questions that need to be addressed before execution of major project. Time schedule
Both Hyderabad and Bangalore airport developers have shown that it is possible to build greenfield airports in three years time. With better cooperation and interaction between government agencies and the developers, this process could even be speeded up a little. There are obvious differences between building greenfield airports, where there is no activity, and expanding or modernising existing airports that remain fully functional. Delhi and Mumbai fall into the second category, and so will Kolkata and Chennai. Plans have to be drawn keeping that in mind. To ensure timely completion of these projects, the developers and contractors need more, not less assistance from the authorities.
Before work on the Chennai and Kolkata airports begin, the Aviation Ministry will do well to resolve all these issues and make sure that the problems faced by Delhi and Mumbai do not crop up again in the other two metropolis. There is already a clear slippage in growth in the key infrastructure sectors of the economy, let not the aviation sector add on to this problem.
V. JAYANTH

http://www.hindu.com/biz/2008/05/19/stories/2008051950111600.htm

Now, parliament panel steps in airport mess

Now, parliament panel steps in airport mess:
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Now--parliament-panel-steps-in-airport-mess/310706/

New Delhi, May 16 Peeved over the delay in clearing the modernisation and expansion works at the Kolkata and Chennai airports and the mess that has been created of the privatisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports, the parliamentary committee on civil aviation has summoned both the Planning Commission and the civil aviation ministry for a meeting on May 22 to explain their stands on the issue.
Speaking to FE, a senior parliamentarian on the committee said, “The Planning Commission has been creating some trouble for some time now. Frankly speaking, it has crossed its line (now). It has been raising too many objections. We want to know the reason behind this. Their objections have delayed clearance of the projects.”
“The Commission is more eager to put most of the modernisation projects on the PPP mode. They have not realised the mess they have created out of privatising the Delhi and Mumbai airports. They will be happy if we put the Kolkata and Chennai airports also on the PPP mode,” the member added.
Incidentally, the Airport Authority of India (AAI)'s proposal for modernising Kolkata airport at an estimated cost of Rs 1,943 crore had been termed an “unviable investment” and “over-ambitious” by the Commission’s officials at a recent inter-ministerial group meeting.
“While the Kolkata airport should certainly be modernised to world class standards, the efficiency of investments would have to be borne in mind in order to ensure that the user charges/tariffs to be borne by passengers do not increase significantly when the proposed regulator determines these charges,” the Commission had argued at the inter-ministerial group meeting.
In line with a decision of the Committee on Infrastructure, the Commission further suggested a modular approach for terminal expansion in two phases. It also said the AAI's proposal for a secondary runway at a cost of Rs 35 crore and another Rs 290 crore for constructing Air Traffic Controllers’ towers and upgrading a railway structure do not look feasible.
Interestingly, the Commission feels that construction of a new terminal building of 1,80,000 square metres at the Kolkata airport to handle 24.56 million passengers by 2016 is much too big a space as till 2016, most of the space would lie unused. The airport handled 6 million passengers in 2006-07.
On the finances side, the Commission pointed that the Kolkata airport had an operating surplus of Rs 33.40 crore in 2006-07 and its ability to absorb and service...

Greenfield airport site feasible, says study

Date:16/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/16/stories/2008051650030100.htm
Back
Front Page Greenfield airport site feasible, says study
Ananth Krishnan
Project awaits technical approval
Emphasis on connectivity to site
CHENNAI: While the Airports Authority of India prepares to begin work on the modernisation and expansion of Chennai airport in the coming weeks, it has also taken the first steps towards starting work on its greenfield airport project in Sriperumbudur.
The AAI has conducted a techno-feasibility study, and an official told The Hindu that the site was feasible for the greenfield airport.
The proposal is currently with the International Civil Aviation Organisation awaiting approval. While the AAI initially planned to construct four runways on the site, it will now build two parallel runways. When completed, the project will take care of Chennai’s aviation requirements “for the next 50 years,” the official said.
The State government has identified 4,820.66 acres of land in Tirumangalam, Mambakkam, Irungulam, Vadamangalam, Padicherry, Sirukilai, Kilai and Sriperumbudur in Sriperumbudur taluk, and Tirupandiyur and Vayalur in Tiruvallur taluk for the project, and around 6,540 people and 1,078 homes will be dislocated by the development.
The lands marked out for the greenfield airport are close to the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway. A State government official said that developing connectivity to the proposed site will be strongly emphasised in the planning for the project as the government was keen on avoiding a repeat of the teething troubles faced in Bangalore and Hyderabad, where similar greenfield airports were set up on the outskirts of the two cities.
The government was also exploring the possibility of providing rail connectivity to the proposed site from the line at Avadi, and also developing the national highway to Sriperumbudur as an expressway concurrently. While the AAI had initially slated the greenfield project for completion before 2015, the go-ahead for the expansion plan at Meenambakkam will give it more time to develop the project.
According to AAI sources, the expansion plan will enhance capacity and meet traffic demands till at least 2016 or 2017. The AAI has invested more than Rs. 1,800 crore in the expansion project, and is expected to keep both airports open.
© Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/16/stories/2008051650030100.htm

'Kol, Chennai airport modernisation delay'

'Kol, Chennai airport modernisation delay'
Press Trust of India / New Delhi May 9, 2008
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel today said the commencement of modernisation of Kolkata and Chennai airports had been delayed by a couple of months, but the process of shortlisting of construction firms and related activities were on.

"There has been a delay of a couple of months in Kolkata and Chennai... But we are continuing with the parallel process of shortlisting construction and other companies. It is an overlapping process," Patel said here. Asked about CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury's appeal for Prime Ministerial intervention to check privatisation of the process through the "backdoor", he said the terminals would be "managed and maintained by the Airports Authority of India." "It is only the allocated commercial space which would be run by private parties.


Our view is categorical," he said. When pointed out that Yechury, who is also the Chairman of Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, had referred to a decision of the Inter-Ministerial Group to "privatise" the management of terminal buildings, Patel said "various opinions have been expressed in the IMG. This does not mean that these are the views of the government. The Planning Commission has also given some suggestions." "Government does not subscribe to the IMG's views. The PM's Infrastructure Committee has decided that the non-metro airports would be managed and maintained by AAI and the city- side development will be done only through joint venture partnerships," Patel said. Yechury had said in his letter to the Prime Minister that "certain arms of your government are deliberately delaying the process in order to privatise the modernisation of airports through the backdoor."

http://business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=37207

Minister hits back, blames Delhi airport delay on Plan Panel

NEW DELHI, MAY 13: A day after the Planning Commission rapped the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) for the slow progress in upgradation of the capital’s airport, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Tuesday hit back at the Plan Panel.

In a strongly-worded letter, Patel has written to Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia how it is the Commission’s “constant objections” that had earlier delayed the awarding process for joint ventures of both Delhi and Mumbai airports and how it is now dragging its feet on the Kolkata and Chennai airport modernisation process.

The Commission had come down heavily on the GMR-run DIAL at a review meeting on Monday for its slow progress, terming it a complete failure. The Commission had said the situation at the airport was miserable, as instead of decreasing congestion, DIAL had only increased congestion. DIAL was further told that this was leading to a perception that bringing in a private partner for the upgradation was no help at all and this was hitting the country’s global image.

Patel has reacted rather quickly to the Planning Commission’s sudden interest in DIAL. Pointing out how he has learnt through newspaper reports about Ahluwalia’s “anguish over the slow pace of progress in the modernisation and development work” at the Delhi airport, the minister said he hoped it would bring about “necessary changes and improvement in a time-bound manner”.
The minister, however, has not minced words in pointing out how it is the Planning Commission officials who have been delaying various projects. Sources in the Planning Commission say the letter refers to how the commission’s officials had almost “completely derailed” the process of awarding joint ventures for Mumbai and Delhi airports and only the Deputy Commissioner’s intervention had helped save the deal. The minister, it is learnt, has also noted that projects should be decided keeping in mind the needs for the next 10-20 years and “not to repeat the past mistakes” like those made in construction of the current IGI airport international terminal — “a plan then approved by the Planning Commission and the Ministry”.

Patel has written that he takes “this opportunity” to bring to Ahluwalia’s notice how the modernisation of Kolkata and Chennai airports is also being delayed due to “constant objections being raised by the Planning Commission about the scale and size of these airports”. These endless objections are holding up the project despite the fact that the Committee on Infrastructure headed by the Prime Minister has “categorically approved the projects”.
The minister winds off his letter rather sarcastically, saying he hoped the Deputy Chairman’s visits across Delhi and the country would draw his attention to “various problems of roads, electricity, water, sewerage system, public transport” and that he would address these problems in a “time-bound manner”.

Patel’s letter comes soon after Left leader Sitaram Yechury wrote to the PM on the issue of delay in the modernisation of Kolkata and Chennai airports and complained that “backdoor privatisation” of the 35 non-metro airports was being planned.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/309223.html

‘Chennai, Kolkata airports modernisation delayed by Plan panel’

‘Chennai, Kolkata airports modernisation delayed by Plan panel’
Our Bureau
New Delhi, May 13 The Ministry of Civil Aviation has said that the modernisation of Chennai and Kolkata airports is being delayed due to the constant objections being raised by the Planning Commission on the scale and size of these airports.
A letter from the Ministry to the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, points out that the airports are getting delayed despite the Committee on Infrastructure, which is headed by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, having ‘categorically approved’ the projects.
Sources said that the letter was written by the Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel.
The communication adds that the plans for the two airports were drawn up keeping in view the needs of the country 10-20 years down the line and also so as not to repeat the past mistakes made at the time of construction of the current IGI airport international terminal in the Capital.
The letter was sent a day after the Deputy Chairman held a review meeting with officials of Delhi Airport Private Ltd (DIAL), the joint venture company set up to manage the modernisation of the airport.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/05/14/stories/2008051451961000.htm

Chennai airport to sport a new look

Chennai airport to sport a new look:

In the recent past, Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, has turned out to be a major attraction for foreign investments. It all started with Hyundai setting up a plant there. With that anchor investment, the state government successfully sold the region to a host of foreign companies. Indeed, Sriperumbudur has been compared to Shenzen of China.
With Sriperumbudur on one side and Maraimalainagar on the other, Chennai has regained its glory as a manufacturing hub. Apart from this, a large number of foreign investors such as Ford, Hyundai, Nissan–Renault, BMW, Saint Gobain, Motorola, Nokia and Foxconn etc., have made Chennai their production base.
Foreign tourists
Tamil Nadu is also an important destination for foreign tourists. In recent years, the Chennai airport has recorded significant growth in both passenger traffic and cargo movement. It is only natural that the airports should develop too, in tandem with the need for moving people. This in mind, the Government has decided to go for modernisation and expansion of Chennai airport in co-ordination with the Government of India. Land acquisition work to acquire 1069.99 acres for land is being undertaken by the Government for this purpose.
The Airports Authority of India, which is undertaking the modernisation programme, has proposed to spend about Rs 1,800 crore on this.

The modernisation of Chennai airport will be completed by 2010. Alongside, the State Government is also examining the option of establishing a greenfield airport at Sriperumpudur. As regards the non-metro airports like Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchi and Thoothukudi, the State Government is taking action to acquire lands for their expansion and modernisation as per the Master Plan submitted by Airports Authority of India in order to meet the growing needs of the passengers and the cargo.

Expansion plan
The Tamil Nadu Government has identified 1070 acres of land for the expansion of the Chennai airport. Alongside, the government will also begin groundwork for a second, greenfield airport. It estimates that 4,820 acres will be required for the second airport, which is expected to come up in the Sriperumbudur-Tiruvallur taluks.
Land acquisition for the airport expansion project will cost about Rs 1,000 crore. The Airports Authority of India, the entity that will build the airport, would spend another Rs 1,000 crore on the project.

Compensation
It is estimated that only 947 houses will be affected by the project – families living in them will be paid due compensation.As on date, most of the acquisition has been completed. There has been some difficulty in buying a small parcel of land on which a new terminal would come.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/05/13/stories/2008051350030300.htm

Environmentalists Concerned about Airport Expansion Project

Times of Inidia 09_May_2008

Changes in land acquisition plan leave residents angry

Changes in land acquisition plan leave residents angry
They resent lack of transparency in the exercise

CHENNAI: Even as the Kancheepuram district administration expects to complete land acquisition in a month to allow the airport expansion project to start in June, for the residents in the affected areas, many questions remain unanswered.

Local registrar offices are still allowing the buying and selling of property and the registration of titles in these areas despite a July 9, 2007 Government Order notifying 1,069.99 acres for acquisition at Tharapakkam, Manapakkam, Kolapakkam and Gerugambakkam. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) was directed to freeze building activities in these areas.

“If the government is going to acquire the land, the registration offices should know which property is going to be affected,” says S. Tamilselvan, a Tarapakkam resident.

While some residents have received notification from tahsildars that their land is being acquired, many in this area have not. “And as they are still allowing registrations here, we are not sure whether we have been exempt from the plan or not,” he said.

In a reply to a petition filed by a resident under the Right to Information Act, Pammal Registrar’s Office confirmed that property in parts of Tharapakkam marked out for acquisition were still being registered as late as December 2007. When contacted, an officer said the registrar was yet to receive any government notification about the airport expansion. As such, buying and selling of property was still permissible, and the land acquisition proposal would not figure in encumbrance certificates.

Lack of transparency and alterations in the State Government’s land acquisition plan have left many residents angry and unsure of the fate of their homes. The residents are also aggrieved because they received No-Objection Certificates from the CMDA as late as June 2006, only 11 months before the Government issued its order identifying the land.

In June 2005 though, the CMDA announced freezing of all building activities in Manapakkam, Kolapakkam, Gerugambakkam, Tharapakkam, Thanadalam, Kovur, Pozhichalur, Peripanicheri and Cowl Bazaar, when the AIADMK Government first marked out 1,457.50 acres.

The State Government and the AAI have since drastically changed the plan, leaving the residents bitter about the lack of transparency and clarity in the whole exercise.

“If an NOC given by the CMDA itself can be rendered invalid in less than a year, what is the point of getting approval? There has been no transparency in the process,” said a Manapakkam resident.

A Gerugambakkam resident said her family had spent all their savings on buying the property in February 2006. “We had heard about the earlier plan, but we approached the CMDA in March 2006, looked at the survey numbers and were told we were outside the airport expansion plan.” Her family started construction by the end of 2006.

“When we heard about the Government Order [in May 2007], we stopped construction of our house, and it still remains unfinished,” she said. “But we are still forced to pay Rs. 14,000 every month as EMI to the bank, though construction has stopped. We are in a bind, and our dream still remains unfulfilled.”

http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/06/stories/2008050660220700.htm

Meeting with Collector on 08-05-2008

Manapakkam, kollapakkam, Gerugambakkam, Tharapakkam, Kovur people are asked by Special Thasildhar to meet Kanchipuram collector in Straight on 08-05-2008,Thursday at Kanchipuram collector office, Kanchipuram.

Appeal To Chief Minister in Deccan Chronicle_04_05_2008

Appeal to CM In DINAMALAR_04_05_2008

Appeal to Tamil Nadu CM to Reconsider the Chennai Airport Expansion,

Check Dinamalar 04_05_2008, Page No.6

www.dinamalar.com

Meeting Collector on 08-05-2008

Special Thasildhar had called those who had send their objections for High Court verdict to meet KANCHIPURAM COLLECTOR on 08-05-2008, 10.30 in Kanchipuram collecotr office,Kanchipuram.

Meeting with Collector on 08-05-2008.

EVP Township Association members are asked to make their presence without fail to Collecotr office on 08-05-2008.

Airport expansion work to begin next month

Airport expansion work to begin next month
Ananth Krishnan
Project was delayed by problems in acquiring land
Second runway, extension of cross runway planned
CHENNAI: After more than eight years of delays and debates, the Chennai airport expansion project is finally set to take off. Work will begin on the Rs.1,800-crore project next month and will be completed by June 2011, more than eight years behind the initial AAI schedule, Airports Authority of India sources have told The Hindu .
Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi also confirmed on Saturday that the foundation stone for the project would be laid in June. The expansion and modernisation project was delayed by problems in acquiring 1069.99 acres at Manappakkam, Kolappakkam. Tharapakkam and Gerugambakkam the State government had marked out, following writ petitions filed by residents.
The Madras High Court on March 28 dismissed the petitions and directed the Kancheepuram District Collector to begin issuing notices to 947 landholders.
The AAI has confirmed that utilising the acquired land, it will construct a second runway, parallel to the existing 12,000-feet main runway, and extend the 6,500-foot cross runway that has been in operation since December.
The AAI envisages having two parallel runways in operation will significantly enhance the airport’s handling capacity to 50 flights an hour, and allow it to meet the demands of air traffic until at least 2016. Chennai airport can currently handle 28 aircraft movements an hour.
The AAI will shortly also begin work on expanding and modernising the domestic and international terminals. It will construct additional domestic and international terminals on either side of the existing terminal building. When completed, the four-building integrated terminal will be able to handle 20 crore passengers annually — double the current capacity.
A senior AAI official says the go-ahead for the expansion plan and added capacity will give them more breathing space to complete the greenfield airport project in Sriperumbudur, which was initially slated for completion in 2015.
The State Government is now considering constructing a railway line from Avadi and an expressway to the proposed site, in order to avoid the connectivity problems seen in Bangalore and Hyderabad. Given that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has indicated that existing airports will not be closed when Greenfield projects are ready, come 2016, Chennaites can expect to have two airports to fly home to.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/04/stories/2008050455840100.htm

Karunanidhi accuses PMK of hindering developmental activities

Chennai (PTI): Accusing his ally PMK founder S Ramadoss of hindering developmental activities in the state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Satur day said when he was demanding setting up of industries in backward districts, he was opposing acquisition of land for the purpose.
Writing in the DMK mouthpiece Murasoli,he said when Tatas proposed to set up a Titanium Project in the backward Tuticorin district,Ramadoss protested against acquiring land for the purpose. 'Because of this, the factory is yet to be set up, thereby denying hundreds of youngsters employment opportunities,' he said.
Ramadoss also protested against setting up of a Special Economic Zone at Hosur, again a backward area, he said.
On Ramadoss remarks that the state was yet to take steps on establishing a new airport while new airports at Hyderabad and Bangalore were already commissioned or to be commissioned soon, Karunanidhi said when the government wanted to acquire land for the expansion of Chennai airport, the PMK leader had charged that the government was planning to usurp 800 acres of land. However, work would begin on the expansion next month, he said.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200805031964.htm