HC allows TN govt. to acquire land for airport expansion

27-Mar-2008

Clearing the way for expansion of the Chennai Airport, the High Court here on Thursday dismissed a batch of petitions challenging the land acquisition for the project.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice Prabha Sridevan, passed the order, thus enabling the Tamil Nadu government to go ahead with one of its ambitious projects.
The Bench had stayed all the proceedings relating to acquisition of land for the project, in December last year.

Earlier, a set of petitions challenged the acquisition of 1069.99 acres in Manapakkam, Tharapakkam, Gerugambakkam, Kolapakkam and Kovur around the airport. The petitioners had contended that the State Government was acquiring the said land under the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act, though the land was not in an "industrial area" declared by the Government nor was it an "industrial estate."

They had also contended that the State Government was not competent to acquire land for the expansion, as the field was occupied by a Central organisation, Airports Authority of India (AAI).
The Bench, in its observation, said that "it is clear that the acquisition is an independent power emanating from the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution."

"In view of the foregoing discussions, we find absolutely no merit in the challenge raised to acquisition proceedings initiated by the State Government under the Act and we hold the State is entitled to proceed with the acquisition and acquire the land and hand over the same to the Airport Authority," the Bench said.

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