After a wait for over 15 years, 13 land owners from Uppilipalayam village, whose lands will be used for the expansion of the Coimbatore International Airport, received documents regarding the awarding of compensation to the tune of ₹ 1.6 crore on Tuesday.
The Revenue Department has arranged the documentation of the lands, five plots belonging to the 13 persons from seven families, on Wednesday. The land owners will be given the compensation as cheque post the registration of the lands to the name of Government of Tamil Nadu. Of the 13 land owners from block-7 coming under Uppilipalayam village, 10 received the compensation documents from S.P. Velumani, Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development, at the Collectorate.
There are 68 land owners in block-7, one of the 24 blocks identified for acquisition in five villages. The government had allotted ₹ 75 crore for block-7.
Though the government had plans to announce around ₹ 900 crore to acquire lands coming under blocks 1,3,11,12 and 20 in the second level, sources said that the fund might not be allotted soon as General Elections are likely to be announced in the coming days, effecting model code of conduct.
Mr. Velumani said that the airport expansion, which was stalled over 15 years, was vital for the growth of imports and exports from Coimbatore and neighbouring districts.
“The growth of industries, increase in exports and new industrial parks which offer employment to the youth are closely linked to the air traffic movement and expansion of airport. While expanding the airport, focus will be given to increase the air cargo movement along with the passenger traffic. As of now, cargo flights are not operating from the airport so as to aid the export of products such as automobile parts, textiles, ready made items, food products and jewellery. The export will increase manifold if cargo flights are operational post the expansion of the airport,” he said.
According to him, the current runway of 9,000 foot will have to be extended to 12,500 foot to aid the landing of international flights, mostly wide-bodies aircraft. This will enable the airport to have the mandatory width for the runway based on which Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issues licence to Airport Authority of India to run an airport. DGCA mandates a basic strip, i.e., 150 metres on either side of the runway from the centre line.
The 627 acres of land to be acquired for the expansion project include 140 acres of defence land and 30 acres of poromboke land belonging to State Government. The remaining 457 acre belong to land owners who will be awarded Rs ₹ 1,500 per sq.ft. for residential plots and ₹ 900 per sq.ft. for agricultural plots.
Mr. Velumani said that reduction of value added tax for aviation turbine fuel from 28 % to 1 % by the State Government for late night and early morning flights operating via the Coimbatore International Airport had resulted in the addition of four new services which witnessed over 5,000 passengers per day.
A land owner, who received the document, said to The Hindu that though the wait for over 15 years ended, the land owners were made to suffer by the successive governments.