Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha has directed the Officers from Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) and Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation (KSSIDC) Limited (the nodal agency that will oversee the transfer of land) to acquire an additional 91 acres of land for future expansion of the Mysuru Airport that is poised to be developed as an International Airport.
This land will be in addition to the 160 acres for which the final notification has already been issued by the KIADB and the 46-acre land that is yet to be acquired.
The MP was chairing a meeting of Officers from KIADB, KSSIDC, Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC), Minor Irrigation, Airports Authority of India (AAI) represented by new Mysuru Airport Director Anup and transferred Director R. Manjunath, who has now been appointed as the Director of Darbhanga Airport in Bihar.
The meeting was held at Jaladarshini Guest House this morning where the MP asked the KIADB Special Land Acquisition Officer (SLAO) Priyadarshini to send a proposal to the State Government to acquire an additional 91 acres to facilitate future expansion and also to facilitate the runway expansion of 2,750 metres (45 metres wide) from the existing 1,740 metres (30 metres wide).
“We have 490 acres now where the Airport stands and with the addition of 160 and 46 acres, we will be in a comfortable position for expansion. We need more land (91 acres) in case the runway has to be expanded to 3,500 metres,” the MP noted.
The BJP Government approved Rs. 320 crore for the airport expansion, with Rs. 150 crore already deposited with the KIADB for land acquisition purposes. Once the land is transferred to the Airport Authority of India, the second phase of airport expansion will commence. “I will discuss the issue with Chief Minister Siddharamaiah to release the pending funds,” the MP assured and asked the officers to fast-track the land acquisition process.
Compensation at a rate of Rs. 1.5 crore per acre needs to be disbursed for the 160 acres that has been notified. The MP instructed CESC officials to determine the number of electricity poles requiring relocation, while the Minor Irrigation Department emphasised the importance of canal realignment and diversion.
The CESC officers told the MP that they would need Rs. 58 crore for electricity poles relocation while the Minor Irrigation Department sought Rs. 70 crore for canal realignment and diversion. The MP asked the officers to send their proposals to the Government. The MP informed the officers that the proposal to construct an underpass beneath the runway has been abandoned due to security concerns and the potential challenges and cost escalation associated with its construction. Instead, the Mysuru-Nanjangud Highway will be diverted as the alignment of the Highway intersects perpendicularly with the runway.
Consequently, additional land will be acquired for the diversion of the Highway. This will result in an increase of approximately 5 to 7 kms in the distance between Mysuru and Nanjangud.
This post was published on June 2, 2023 7:44 pm