No hasty decision on airport expansion: TN CM

Chennai, Mar 3 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu government will not take any hasty decision and seek the people's cooperation while taking up the Airport expansion project, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said today.

Talking to media after inspecting road laying work in the IT Corridor on the Old Mahabalipuram stretch, he said the project was emerging as a 'ticklish issue' in the wake of land acquisition.

The government was considering providing alternate places to slum dwellers and other middle class people living in the area, but it was doubtful whether those holding a brief for them would accept the proposal, even if the people agreed to alternate sites, he said.

Mr Karunaidhi said the problem could be amicably settled if people thought that the expansion project involved common interest and would only pave way for the development of the city and state.

However, the government would not be hasty and take any harsh decisions on land acquisition. 'We want to be humane and seek the cooperation of all sections of the people to resettle them. If we get cooperation, the expansion project will take off,' he said.

There was no need for apprehension among the people that the government would give less than market rate, while providing compensation for acquisition of land, he said.

Asked if there was any proposal with the government to locate the proposed new airport far away from the city, he said the existing airport itself was away from the city. 'We are considering all these aspects and we will not take any hasty decision', he reiterated.

UNI