TDP commercial interests to the fore: YS Jagan

Leader  of  Opposition,  YS  Jagan  Mohan  Reddy rubbished  the  proposal  of  the  State  to  acquire  15,000 acres  of  land  for developing an international airport despite protests from locals.

“The commercial agenda of the TDP Government has once again come to the fore with its proposal to acquire 15,000 acres of land at Bhogapuram to jack up the  real  estate  prices  at  the  cost  of  the  fertile  land  of  farmers,”  he  told reporters at Vizianagaram.
“The state government announcing that it will go for an international airport in an extent of 15,000 acres of land is irrational. No international airport in the country has such a large extent of land and the acquisition  would  adversely  affect  the  farmers,”  he  said.  He reminded that  Chennai international airport is built in an extent 1,223 acres, Mumbai is in 2,000 acres and Cochin airport is built in 800 acres. The existing airport in Visakhapatnam is in an area of 350 acres and can be upgraded by looking for land in the surrounding areas instead of going for a new airport at Bhogapuram by acquiring the lands of farmers,” he said.
“The farmers are already in trouble as they got a raw deal in the loan waiver scheme and the amount released is not even matching the interest accrued. Such moves will further push the farmers into a tight corner of despair,” YS Jagan said.