No land acquired for airport project: Karunanidhi

CHENNAI - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Wednesday said only soil samples have been taken from 64 places in Sriperumbudur near here and land acquisition process has not begun for the proposed green field airport.

“In order to choose the location for the airport 4,200 acres have been surveyed and soil samples from 64 places have been taken for testing to arrive at the technical and financial feasibility of the project. The land acquisition process for building the airport has not commenced,” said Karunanidhi.

He was responding to the statements issued by AIADMK General Secretary J. Jayalalithaa opposing the project and PMK Founder S. Ramadoss, who demands the airport be built at a different location and not by acquiring fertile farm lands in the Sriperumbudur belt.

According to Karunanidhi, at the meeting headed by Chief Secretary on July 21, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) was asked to acquire only minimal land necessary for the project.

Recalling the May 21, 2007 all-party meeting held here to discuss the project, Karunanidhi said it was attended by leaders of AIADMK, PMK and DMDK.

He said the government had not taken any decision on its own. At the all-party meeting it was decided to set up a new airport on 4,821 acre and it should be built by AAI.

On Aug 13, Jayalalithaa flayed the government’s decision to acquire 6,921 acre in Sriperumbudur belt for the airport project saying it threatened the lives of people in 20 villages.