Chinna Udaippu residents protest against land acquisition process for Madurai airport expansion

Residents in Chinna Udaippu, Madurai protest land acquisition for airport expansion due to inadequate compensation and lack of notice.

 Residents of Chinna Udaippu in Madurai protested on Sunday opposing the land acquisition process for Madurai Airport expansion.  

The protesters alleging that they were not given any official notice prior to drive against eviction said that the police, along with the officials, showed up in the village even early in the morning with cranes and lorry to mow down houses.  

They said that they were aware of the expansion project since 2000s when they were first informed by the officials to clear the area for a suitable compensation. 

But the protesters alleged that the compensation which was given to the residents was according to the land value in 1990s, which was in no way close to current land value. 

R. Vignesh Kumar, a resident said that while a cent of land value was ₹ 7 lakh today, some of the residents got only about ₹ 3 lakh for about three acres.  

Though the officials claimed that the compensation was based on the norms and the people accepted it at first, he said that they realised that it was very less for them to survive in a new location.

“As about 30 acres of the nearby 70 acre Iyan Paapakudi kanmai was taken over by the airport, the remaining 40 acres which would remain unused could be given to the residents as an alternative,” he said.