|
Tamil Nadu airports to be modernized
Chennai, June 24
The Tamil Nadu government is in the process of
acquiring land for expansion and modernization
of metro and non-metro airports in the state.
According to a policy note Transport Minister
K.N. Nehru submitted in the assembly, the state
capital has grown as a hub for manufacturing
sectors like automobiles, electronic hardware
and IT and the state has turned out to be an
important destination for foreign tourists,
resulting in increased cargo and passenger
traffic in the Chennai airport. “Keeping all
these in mind the government decided to go for
modernization and expansion of Chennai airport
in coordination with the government of India.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is
undertaking the modernization programme, has
proposed to spend about Rs.1,808 crore (Rs.18.08
billion) on this,” the policy note states.
|
The Chennai airport modernization will be completed by
2010, it says. As many as 126 acres of lands has already
been acquired by the state at a cost of Rs.127.06 crore
and handed over to AAI. Among non-metro airports, the
state is taking necessary action to acquire 610 acres of
land for the expansion and modernization of Madurai
airport at a cost of Rs.68.99 crore. In addition, action
to acquire land for expansion of airports at Coimbatore,
Trichy, Tuticorin and Salem as per the master plans have
been submitted by AAI. The state is also taking action
for establishing a greenfield airport at Sriperumpudur
