Rural Development Minister Kimidi Mrunalini has said the government will adopt all norms and package offered to farmers in the capital region for land pooling at Bhogapuram where the government plans an international airport in an extent of 15,000 acres. She ruled out injustice to any farmer in this resgard. At an all-party meeting on land pooling for the airport here on Sunday, Dr. Mrunalini said keeping in view the air traffic and cargo handling in 2050 the government planned the airport in 5,000 acres and other basic facilities such as roads, parks, commercial and residential complexes in the remaining land.
The airport when completed would jack up growth and also increase the per capita income which is the lowest in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts, she said and appealed to them to cooperate with the government. Collector M.M. Naik read out the package being offered by the government to farmers and circulated copies of the same to Opposition leaders.
However, while maintaining that they are not against development, YSRC leader A. Sriramulu Naidu, CPI district secretary P. Kameswara Rao, CPI (M) district secretary T. Suryanarayana, and Lok Satta leader R. Sudhakar asked the government either build the airport on government land or develop the defunct historical World War-II airstrip at Badangi, near Bobbili. Former Congress MLA B. Appala Naidu said it was not correct to acquire 15,000 acres out of 28,000 acres in the mandal. The Minister, however, said international airport needed road connectivity and economic viability which the Badangi airstrip lacked.
The meeting was disrupted for some time when TDP leaders Dwarapureddy Jagadish, I.V.P. Raju and K. Bangaraju and the ex-Congress MLA traded charges on land acquisition in the past.
Opposition parties urge government to construct the airport on government land
