Chinna Udaippu residents protest against land acquisition process for Madurai airport expansion

 Residents of Chinna Udaippu in Madurai protested on Sunday opposing the land acquisition process for Madurai Airport expansion.  

The protesters alleging that they were not given any official notice prior to drive against eviction said that the police, along with the officials, showed up in the village even early in the morning with cranes and lorry to mow down houses.  

They said that they were aware of the expansion project since 2000s when they were first informed by the officials to clear the area for a suitable compensation. 

But the protesters alleged that the compensation which was given to the residents was according to the land value in 1990s, which was in no way close to current land value. 

R. Vignesh Kumar, a resident said that while a cent of land value was ₹ 7 lakh today, some of the residents got only about ₹ 3 lakh for about three acres.  

Though the officials claimed that the compensation was based on the norms and the people accepted it at first, he said that they realised that it was very less for them to survive in a new location.

“As about 30 acres of the nearby 70 acre Iyan Paapakudi kanmai was taken over by the airport, the remaining 40 acres which would remain unused could be given to the residents as an alternative,” he said.  

C. Udayar, another resident, said that as even farmlands were taken, they have no resources to sustain their life.  

“Some form of enhanced compensation could help us lead a better life,” he added.

Madurai District Revenue Officer R. Sakthivel who held talks with the public in the morning said that even when the accepted compensation was under protest, it could not be cited as reason for not vacating the houses.

“Since people have accepted the compensation, they can only seek the court for any sort of relief. Only after the land acquisition, the compound wall of the airport was raised on that place,” he noted.

As people had requested for a week to vacate their houses, permission was given for them to stay there one more week, he said.

Published - November 17, 2024 07:40 pm IST