UT to seek Central funds to buy TN lands for airport

In an informal chat with media persons here before leaving for New Delhi, Krishna Rao said the land acquisition was not materialising due to high cost involved. Though a meeting with the officials from Puducherry government, chairman of Airport Authority of India and Tamil Nadu government officials was held recently and followed up by involving the civil aviation ministry, it came to naughts over funding the land acquisition, he added.

 Puducherry was asked to bear the cost of the land, which was around Rs 350 crore, he said. Though the price of the land as per the guideline value of Tamil Nadu was lower, Tamil Nadu was charging at Puducherry’s guideline value of Rs 3 crore per acre, he said. 

With Puducherry facing financial constraints, it has no means to bear the high expenditure and would be seeking financial assistance from MHA for the purpose, Mr Rao said.At present, only small aircraft were operational due to limitations of the runway, he added.

 The government is also having an alternative plan, to develop the Airport through the PPP mode, Tourism Minister Rao said. Like in Following the model in cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, private participation would be involved by providing land on 30-year lease basis. 

Rao, also the Minister for Fisheries said that the Centre has sanctioned the phase two of Fishing harbours at Karaikal and Yanam at an outlay of Rs 71 crore and Rs 19 crore respectively. The fishing harbour at Thengaitittu in Puducherry would be developed with all facilities under a new project Swachh Bharat Hygienic Harbour at Rs 20.34 crore.

The union fishing ministry has given in-principle nod to another proposal to develop three new fishing harbours at Periyakalapet, Nallavadu and Arikamedu at Rs 51.78 crore, he said.

Besides the  Centre has sanctioned Rs 70.20 lakh for development of aqua culture, Rs 26 lakh for brackish water aqua culture, Rs 8 crore purchase of boats for deep sea fishing, Rs 90.2 lakh for modernisation of traditional craft, Rs 48 lakh for replacement of engines, more than five years old and Rs 96 lakh for safety equipment for fishermen at sea, he said.