Date:04/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/04/stories/2006040417930400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Airport modernisation not at cost of residents' livelihood: Rudy

Staff Reporter

State, Centre committing fraud on people of Tamil Nadu: former Union Minister "Full-fledged modern airports could be built away from the city and connected by six or four lane-highways and even metro rail network," he says

LENDING SUPPORT: Former Union Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy, joins other BJP leaders and supporters at a protest meeting held at Pozhichallur, a southern suburb on Monday, against moves to acquire land for airport modernisation. — Photo: A. Muralitharan

TAMBARAM: The former Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, on Monday charged the State and Central Governments with committing a big fraud on the people of Tamil Nadu by forcing the Chennai airport modernisation programme and also by remaining silent despite protests by the people.

Taking part in a meeting organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Pozhichalur bus stand to protest the land acquisition scheme for the proposed Chennai airport modernisation programme, he alleged that the State Government had drawn up an anti-people scheme and MPs from Tamil Nadu were providing "tacit support to it by remaining silent to people's protests."

People's struggle

Stating that the BJP would not make this a political issue, Mr. Rudy however said he was ready to lead the people's struggle.

A modern airport was needed in Chennai with world-class runways and other facilities. But the State should look for "newer green fields" instead of trying out to carve new space adjacent to the existing airport at the expense of the livelihood of a several thousand people.

Expensive project

Questioning the Tamil Nadu Government's announcement of handing over land free of cost to the Civil Aviation Ministry, especially when the Government of India would not provide collateral money for the project that would run into a few thousand crores of rupees, the former Minister wondered how the State Government would source funds for such an expensive project.

Recalling protests from residents of Bangalore and Hyderabad following fears of land acquisition for similar airport expansion projects there, the then National Democratic Alliance government headed by Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee intervened and decided not to carry out airport development at the expense of residents' interest.

"The airports in Bangalore and Hyderabad are being built 40-50 km away from the city and are fast emerging as world class facilities."

"Full-fledged modern airports could be built away from the city and connected by six or four lane-highways and even metro rail network," he said.

"Plan changed"

V.R. Sivaraman, BJP's Kancheepuram (North) district secretary, alleged that while the original plan was to expand the airport in the vast areas in northern direction, it was changed to northwest areas only to safeguard the interests of a small section of people.

C.P. Radhakrishnan, BJP State president, charged the Tamil Nadu MPs with failing to protect the interests of the people who voted them to power.