State govt transfers land for secondary runway extension

State govt transfers land for secondary runway extension

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: The state government handed over 130 acres of land to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to extend the secondary runway, on Monday.

The AAI will soon start fencing the land prior to starting preparatory work.
The land comprising ‘poromboke’ land and some vacant land acquired from panchayats was surveyed and marked in the presence of officials from the AAI and the revenue department.

An AAI senior officer said that they had drawn up a schedule for carrying out the work. “This will be followed strictly once all formalities are over. The boundaries of the land have been marked and it will soon be fenced.

Later, it will be levelled and graded to make it ready for construction work. Once, this is done the AAI will follow the construction schedule,” he added.

Meanwhile, residents of Kolapakkam panchayat from where a good portion of the land had been acquired, criticised the state government for handing over the land without clearing compensation.

“We are yet to get details of compensation from the state government,” said Mannivannan, a resident.

Residents who opposed the airport expansion project questioned how the AAI could start acquiring the land without getting environment clearance for the extension of the secondary runway.

“We have not fixed any timeframe to start construction works. The environment clearance is yet to come,” airport director Dinesh Kumar said.

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