Karnataka - Mangalore   

Emergency notification issued for airport land

Staff Correspondent

Seven-acre land identified for rehabilitation of displaced families

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: M. R. Vasudeva (left), Director, Bajpe airport, explaining to Jabbar Khan Honnali, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada, about the upgradation of the airport,in Mangalore on Sunday.

MANGALORE: The State Government has issued a notification, under an emergency clause, for the acquisition of 130.55 acres of private land surrounding the Bajpe airport in order to upgrade the it to international standards, said Jabbar Khan Honnali, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada, on Sunday.

Addressing presspersons at the Bajpe airport, he said the Government will go ahead with the land acquisition at the earliest. The land will be acquired in Malavoor, Kolambe, Adyapadi and Kenjar villages. He said 27.78 acres of government land will be acquired in the same villages. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has sought 158 acres of land for upgradation of the airport.

He said that with the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's proposed Rs. 21,000-crore investment in Mangalore in LNG, power and petrochemical sectors, the region will witness major growth. The upgradation of the airport has assumed significance and Mangalore needs an airport of international standards.

Mr. Honnalli said 105 families will have to be evacuated from the private land to be acquired. A seven-acre land has been identified adjacent to Kolambe and Malavoor colonies to rehabilitate them. The Minister said 45 house sites are already available at these colonies and families will be shifted there on a priority basis.

He said the Government has sanctioned Rs. 3 crores for land acquisition and rehabilitation work.

The total cost of land acquisition and rehabilitation is estimated at Rs. 10.79 crores.

Asked why the Government had taken 14 years to hand over 186 acres of land to the AAI to construct the new runway, work on which is now under progress, the Minister said the situation has changed now and the Government will hand over the additional land sought by the AAI at the earliest. M.R. Vasudeva, Director, Bajpe airport, said the State Government should send a proposal to the Centre if the Bajpe airport is to be declared an international airport. He told the Minister a road will have to be constructed for the proposed new terminal building.

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