Acquisition of land for the expansion of the Coimbatore International Airport is getting delayed further as the process, which was supposed to be completed by March end, has been extended.
Sources in the know of the land acquisition works said District Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati had instructed the Revenue Department team to complete the process by May 15.
Confirming the development, Mr. Pati said very less extent of orders for acquisition of land were pending to be passed. They could be completed by May 15, he said.
The previous deadline of March 31 could not be met as the officials were involved in various works for the Lok Sabha elections, phase 1 of which was held in Tamil Nadu on April 19.
They said the land acquisition works resumed immediately after the election and the entire team was working to complete the process by May 15.
Of the 635.33 acres for which the State government accorded administrative sanction for acquisition, around 14 acres were pending to be acquired. Of the 14 acres, around 10 acres were open space reserve (OSR) lands which is considered as ‘no cost land’ as the government need not have to pay for it. Hence, only four acres is pending to be acquired, sources said.
The 635.33 acres include 468.83 acres of patta lands, 28.37 acres of poramboke lands, 134.32 acres of Defence lands and 3.30 acres of other government department lands, all spread across Singanallur, Uppilipalayam, Kalapatti, Neelambur and Irugur villages.
