Delay in land acquisition stalls airport expansion progress

Private land owners own almost 461.90 acres of the 627.89 acres earmarked for expansion. 134.33 acres are owned by the defence department and the rest is poromboke land owned by the government. The collectorate began price fixation talks with land owners around November last year, however, they could not reach a conclusion.

"We are allowed to offer only 150% of the guideline value, but they are demanding five to six times that value," said a senior revenue officer. " So we have sent their demands, made in writing, to the commissioner of land administration in Chennai," he said.

Land owners on their part are growing restless. "We have given our objections to the price offered and demands," said a land owner from Singanallur, P R Jagannathan. "We want them to offer us the market value of the land," he said.

"However, whatever price they decide to offer us, let them accelerate the process. Because, land prices are going up every few months and if they give us the compensation four years later, it will be a pittance," he said.