Opinion divided on airport expansion.

The proposed acquisition of land for the expansion of the airport in the city has triggered differing opinion, with farmers raising their objection to the proposal and the members of a city-based federation expressing their support.

Representatives of National-South Indian Rivers Inter-linking Farmers Association and the office-bearers of the Air, Rail and Road Travellers Federation submitted separate petitions to District Collector K.S. Palanisamy expressing their views in this regard.

M. Sekaran, president of the Federation, said the Airport Authority of India had accorded its green signal for acquisition of land to an extent of 510.30 acres of which about 164.68 acres fell in the jurisdiction of the Union Ministry of Defence. He said the runway expansion was most important for the operation of wide-bodied aircraft. He said the expansion would facilitate operation of larger number of aircraft and bring down the air freights.

E. Paul Guna, Joint secretary, and Achhar Singh, executive member of the federation, said the city’s development would be on a faster phase through the expansion. H. Ubaidullah, member and V. Balasubramanian, secretary, said that the expansion should be expedited without any delay.


THE HINDU