Sunday, January 4, 2009

Medha Patkar flays airport expansion


Medha Patkar flays airport expansion


CHENNAI: Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar on Friday described the airport expansion plan here as “encroachment on people’s land.” Patkar was in the city to participate in a demonstration held by the United People’s Forum for Survival (UPFFS) against the project.
“The airport expansion is encroachment on people’s land without their consent.

It is against the very rules of rehabilitation that are against displacement of anyone in development. The National Rehabilitation Policy emphasis this fact,” she said.
Even though the houses and plots were taken over by the government under the rules, it nevertheless showed ad hoc planning because it failed to take care of the displaced people.

I know Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel only too well to understand that all this ambitious planning is aimed at corporatisation of the sector,” Patkar said. The government failed to assess the environmental hazards that were bound to crop up because of the parallel runway.
It is the political-corporate nexus at work, which is not in the best interests of the people.” Patkar urged Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to hold a dialogue with the Airports Authority of India on the issue. It was big corporate houses that would benefit from such projects with bigger profits in their account, she said.
Today, it is the building of a parallel runway and tomorrow they will want malls right next to that for further development.

Where does that leave the common man?” Recalling the Nagar Raj Bill, Patkar said displacement was being equated with development and the people’s basic needs were being ignored.

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