Find alternative land for Salem airport expansion, say farmers

A large number of ryots, who participated in a demonstration organised by the DMK and farmers’ bodies, wanted the government to make use of the vast stretch of the vacant land present on the premises of Salem Steel Plant or locate such non-fertile land for the purpose.

As per the plan for the airport expansion, 570 acres of fertile farm lands spread over Kaamalapuram, Pottiyapuram, Thumbipadi, and Sikkanampatti villages, were to be acquired.

“Despite opposition from villagers, the state government has given its nod for the expansion. Now, works are under way to measure the land required for acquisition,” farmers alleged. The protesting farmers claimed that, if their fertile lands were taken over, then 2,000 families would lose their main source of livelihood. 

Addressing the protesters, DMK MLA Rajendran said the state and central governments should carry out expansion works in the vacant 2000 acres at the Salem Steel Plant unit.

“Taking over fertile agricultural lands will force farmers to quit agriculture and will destroy the farming activity in the locality, which is not already not lucrative. Despite holding a series of protests, the government has been ignoring the farmers’ pleas,” he said. The protesting villagers also raised doubts over the compensation amount offered by the government. 

“Even those who had given their land in the past for the establishment of the airport haven’t received any compensation. We are not convinced with the government’s compensation assurance,” said N Thangamani, a farmer from Sikkanampatti village.

After seven long years, the flight service, operated by Trujet, Hyderabad-based Turbo Megha Airways was flagged off by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at Kaamalapuram airport on March 25.

Though farmers were against airport expansion, the industrial bodies in the district have been urging the government to speed up the expansion works to facilitate better air connectivity.