Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday claimed that land acquisition needs to be accomplished by the state authorities earlier than sending a proper proposal to the Centre for growing a greenfield airport.
He stated that Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia’s letter stating that no proposal has been obtained for a greenfield airport in Cachar district has been “wrongly understood by some people”.
The chief minister informed reporters right here, “The state government has to complete the land acquisition before formally submitting the proposal for the greenfield airport”.
Sarma stated he had held discussions with the Union minister about establishing a greenfield airport at Silchar within the Cachar district.
The particulars of the dialogue are within the minutes of the assembly, he claimed.
An issue has arisen over the efforts by the Assam authorities to amass land for establishing the airport with the Centre claiming that no such proposal has been obtained for the ability from the BJP-led dispensation within the north-eastern state.
On Scindia’s reply to a letter by Trinamool Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev whereby he acknowledged that until date the ministry has obtained ”no proposal to assemble a greenfield airport in Cachar District of Assam’, Sarma claimed that it has not been correctly understood.
“How can the government submit a proposal for an airport on the land until it has acquired it?” he requested.
The Union minister had stated in his response that “However, if any such proposal from any Airport Developer or the state government is received, the same would be considered as per the Greenfield Airports Policy, 2008.” Greenfield airport means a brand new airport that’s constructed from the scratch on a brand new location as a result of the present facility is unable to fulfill the projected visitors necessities.
Sarma stated the land acquisition course of was on and it could be unsuitable to say that dwellers on this land have been being “evicted’.
“There is no eviction, that is a wrong way of putting it. It is just like people clearing land for any developmental project,” he stated.
The acquisition of land at Doloo Tea Estate for the development of the greenfield airport had led to protests by tea backyard employees however the authorities had assured them that no employee can be evicted from his house and there can be no job cuts.
The state Cabinet had earlier determined to pay a complete sum of Rs 12.63 crore to 1,263 households of the employees of the Doloo Tea Estate as a goodwill gesture for his or her cooperation within the growth of the airport.
The state authorities had beforehand additionally introduced a compensation of Rs 50 crore for the acquisition of land at Doloo, Lalbagh, and Mainagarh tea gardens for establishing the greenfield airport and had already launched Rs 2.37 crore as the primary installment.
The Cachar district administration had on Friday issued a press assertion sustaining that the state authorities was buying the land for the development of the airport and the method was happening easily.
It had acknowledged that the state authorities and the Ministry of Civil Aviation have been in fixed contact for the final three years over the difficulty.
Source: www.financialexpress.com”