Parandur airport: Compensation disbursal for landowners to begin in March, end by May
Sources told DT Next that the compensation disbursal would begin in March and end by May, and added that the work to resettle the affected families would also commence soon.
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CHENNAI: Facing backlash from the opposition and activists over the proposed airport project in Parandur, the State government on Tuesday issued a clarification about the steps taken to reduce its impact and explained the necessity to set up a greenfield airport for Chennai, while also working in the background to hasten the measures to provide compensation for the acquired land.
Sources told DT Next that the compensation disbursal would begin in March and end by May, and added that the work to resettle the affected families would also commence soon.
According to senior officials, the compensation package for landowners who relinquished properties, including houses, paddy fields, and other assets, would be three times the prevailing guideline value.
"We have ensured that the compensation amount is fair and reasonable. In some areas, the guideline value is only Rs 2 lakh per acre while it is as high as Rs 35 lakh per acre in other areas. We will ensure the compensation is disbursed accordingly," noted an official.
The government has already floated tenders for the resettlement of affected families, including alternative housing and other amenities.
"The government has made several promises to the affected people, including resettlement and provision of government jobs. We are committed to fulfilling these promises and ensuring that the affected families are adequately compensated and rehabilitated," added the official.
Meanwhile, the government issued a statement on Tuesday, claiming that it was acting with “extra care” in developing the city’s second airport at Parandur which would help boost the overall development of Tamil Nadu and employment opportunities for youth, but without affecting the welfare and livelihood of the people in any manner.
The site in Parandur was shortlisted by the previous government in 2020, the statement said, and listed several advantages that it has. Unlike Pannur, another site that was on the list, Parandur is closer to the proposed Chennai – Bengaluru expressway.
The number of families that would be affected is 1,546 in Pannur while it is lesser at 1,005 in Parandur. Also, Pannur has many extra high-tension electricity towers, several industries, and is close to Sriperumbudur that has comparatively high concentration of residential and industrial buildings, it said.