Message in THE HINDU on 28-05-2007
New Delhi, May 28 (PTI): A final decision on Chennai airport modernisation and the creation of a greenfield airport near the Tamil Nadu capital is likely to be taken up by Prime Minister's Committee on Infrastructure.
Official sources said that at its next meeting, the infrastructure panel would consider various aspects, including pros and cons of a new greenfield airport near Chennai, before taking a final view on the matter.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M Karunanidhi, had recently announced that Chennai airport revamp as well as development of a greenfield airport would be handled by Airports Authority of India. West Bengal government has already entrusted the Kolkata airport modernisation work to the AAI.
The DMK government was planning to have a greenfield airport at Sriperumbudur and Tiruvallur talukas near Chennai, Karunanidhi had said after a meeting of all legislative party leaders.
He had also said the existing airport at Meenambakkam would be the expanded to Manapakkam, Kolapakkam, Kerugambakkam and Tharapakkam in Sriperumbudur talukas and the government would provide suitable compensation to 947 households in these areas and rehabilitate them.
On the greenfield airport, the sources however, said the current traffic projections show that the southern metropolis does not require a second airport in the next 12-13 years. The traffic growth could be handled by the Meenambakkam airport through its expansion programme, they added.
As per official figures, the existing airport was currently handling about 7.55 million passengers annually, which was poised to grow to about nine million by 2009-10.
The sources said the only thing that was clear at this moment was that the state-owned AAI would handle the development of the existing airport, for which the state government has made the required land available.
According to the Tamil Nadu government, while the greenfield airport would come up on 4,820.66 acre, expansion of Chennai airport would be carried out on 1,069.99 acre at an estimated cost of Rs 2,000 crore.
On Kolkata's Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, AAI has already submitted a modernisation plan that is estimated to cost around Rs 2,000 crore. The funds would be raised by the AAI through its own financial strength.
Of the estimated outlay, AAI plans to spend Rs 900 crore during the 11th Plan period and the remaining amount after that.
As the modernisation plan is put into practice, the existing airport in the eastern metropolis would continue to serve the passengers, the sources said.
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Airport project: land acquisition notices stayed
Special Correspondent
CHENNAI: The operation of individual acquisition notices issued to owners of lands, identified for the Chennai Airport Expansion Project, was stayed by the Madras High Court on Wednesday.
Admitting the petition filed by 15 residents of Marvel Riverview County Phase II in Manapakkam, Justice P. Jyothimani issued notices to State Transport Secretary, Kancheepuram District Collector and Sriperumbudur tahsildar.
When the matter came up for admission on Wednesday, the Additional Government Pleader sought two weeks’ time to file counter.
Granting time, the Judge said, “In the meantime there shall be an interim injunction.”
The matter was adjourned to December 19 for further proceedings.
The petition challenged the legislative competence of the State Government to initiate the acquisition proceedings when parliamentary legislations – the Aircraft Act and Airports Authority of India Act 1994 – had the exclusive jurisdiction for acquiring lands.
K.M. Vijayan, senior counsel for the petitioners, submitted that the Union Government was the appropriate authority to decide the place of airport and land acquisition for airport.
The petitioners, further, contended that the notices were issued under the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act, and added that the Act was not applicable for the purpose of airport expansion.
Link: http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/06/stories/2007120657840100.htm
Airport project: land acquisition notices stayed
Special Correspondent
CHENNAI: The operation of individual acquisition notices issued to owners of lands, identified for the Chennai Airport Expansion Project, was stayed by the Madras High Court on Wednesday.
Admitting the petition filed by 15 residents of Marvel Riverview County Phase II in Manapakkam, Justice P. Jyothimani issued notices to State Transport Secretary, Kancheepuram District Collector and Sriperumbudur tahsildar.
When the matter came up for admission on Wednesday, the Additional Government Pleader sought two weeks’ time to file counter.
Granting time, the Judge said, “In the meantime there shall be an interim injunction.”
The matter was adjourned to December 19 for further proceedings.
The petition challenged the legislative competence of the State Government to initiate the acquisition proceedings when parliamentary legislations – the Aircraft Act and Airports Authority of India Act 1994 – had the exclusive jurisdiction for acquiring lands.
K.M. Vijayan, senior counsel for the petitioners, submitted that the Union Government was the appropriate authority to decide the place of airport and land acquisition for airport.
The petitioners, further, contended that the notices were issued under the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act, and added that the Act was not applicable for the purpose of airport expansion.
Link: http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/06/stories/2007120657840100.htm
WHO AIRPORTS ARE THESE?
The strike by airport employees all over the country to protest against the closure of the old Bangalore and Hyderabad airports is totally unwaranted. These strikes done on a national scale to protest against non-local issues make one wonder for whom these airports are run.
The Nationalization of our airport has created only a host of problems. There is one hand overcrowding of the so-called hub airports and on other hand a host of airport which lie unutilized.
Take the instance of state of TamilNadu. There are 3 under-utilized airports in Vellore, Salem and Tuticorin. This strike against Bangalore and Hyderabad airports has caused unwarranted delays in Chennai airports for people travelling else where thanks to the strike there. Why should the issues related in one location/state lead to strikes on a National scale. Salem airport was built 15 years back at cost of more than 15 crores but has never seen a single flight! People would have appreciated if the Chennai airport strike was to protest for neglect Salem and other airports in the state. People in TamilNadu have to travel more than 200km to board flights due to sheer lack of enough airports in the state, only to welcomed by a strike in Chennai airport to protest what is going on in Hyderabad or Bangalore!
Our airports are also being used as another tool by the government for pushing thecentral language policy, as seen by the fact that most of security staff and airline ground employees do not even speak the local langugaes. This problem is clearly felt in Chennai international airport through which many labourers travel from southern districts.
It would be the interest of the country to transfer the management of the airport to the respective states. This would alteast healthly competition amoung states to develop their respective aviation infrastructure.
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