Pointing fingers at the State government for identifying the Parandur site of the second airport for Chennai, Union Minister for Civil Aviation K Ram Mohan Naidu said that a special meeting would soon be held in New Delhi to discuss the ‘in principle approval’ for the airport.
Chennai: Pointing fingers at the State government for identifying the Parandur site of the second airport for Chennai, Union Minister for Civil Aviation K Ram Mohan Naidu said that a special meeting would soon be held in New Delhi to discuss the ‘in principle approval’ for the airport.
Naidu, who inaugurated the Udaan Yatri Cafe, the second such facility in the country after the one Kolkata airport that offers air passengers a bottle of water from Rs 10, a cup of tea or coffee for Rs and a samosa and a sweet for Rs 20, told the media that nobody should be hungry at the airport due to the high and unreasonable prices.
To a question on the protests organized by villagers and farmers of Parandur and neighbouring villages, who have been opposing the Greenfield project as it would take away their houses, lands and livelihood, the site was selected by the State Government.
Since the Union Government wanted to have more airports in the country, it had taken the initiative to develop the project at the place chosen by the State government, which also sought clearance for the site. Studying the feasibility of the projects with regard to the operation, navigation and such technicalities was only the lookout of the Union Government, he said.
The issues arising over the land had to be dealt with by the State government, he said, adding that the site clearance had been granted to the State government, which had now applied for ‘in principle approval.’
While giving the approval due process would be followed and it would happen in a week or two at a special meeting in Delhi, he said.
Several connected issues were taken into account during the feasibility study, which included the presence of airports around the site and how the airspace could be utilised by the defence and civil sectors, he said.
On the existing airport at Meenambakkam in Chennai, he said that work was on to increase its annual capacity of 22 million to 35 million and the infrastructure in Coimbatore airport would be enhanced.
Under the Udaan scheme, services to Salem, Vellore and Neyveli airports would be improved. As of now flights were operated to Salem and soon Vellore would be put on the air map with the launch of flights from Chennai. Next Neyveli airport would be set up, he said.
