Journalism of Courage
WITH protests taking place in Purandar against the Maharashtra government’s plan to set up an airport there, industrialists and political leaders from Pimpri-Chinchwad, Khed and Maval taluka have decided to renew their demands for setting up the airport in Rajgurunagar area, in Khed.
Local industrialists, MPs and MLAs have sought a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the issue. They want to “convince” the Chief Minister to set up the airport in Rajgurunagar as, according to them, it is the most ideal and convenient location for Puneites from different sections of society. The Chief Minister’s Office has said it is looking into the objections against the move to set up the airport at Purandar.
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The Pimpri-Chinchwad Small Scale Industrial Association has decided to hold agitations, carry out signature campaigns and set up a Kruti Samiti (action committee) to press for their demand. Meanwhile, Shirur MP Shivajirao Adhalrao-Patil has decided to present “full facts and information” before the CM about how setting up an airport in Purandar will result in “tremendous loss” to the government.
According to Adhalrao-Patil, almost 20,000 industrialists in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Talegaon, Chakan and Rajgurunagar will be affected by the move.
“Every year, 38 lakh passengers take flights from Pune. Usually, there is a 10 per cent increase in passenger traffic every year. If an airport is set up in Purandar, there will be a 10 per cent drop in passenger traffic every year… who will use an airport which is located miles away from their residence?” asked Adhalrao-Patil.
“If it takes such a long time to reach Purandar airport, residents of Chakan-Rajgurunagar, Talegaon will prefer to take the flight from the Vashi airport, which is just hours away… ,” added Adhalrao-Patil.
He said the proposed airport required about 1,500 acres of land. “The SEZ land in Rajgurunagar is available and local farmers are ready to provide additional 300-acre land. They have already come forward,” said Adhalrao-Patil. He pointed out that the two airports in Mumbai had been set up on 1400-acre land each.
“If the government says it has identified a 6000-acre land in Purandar for the airport, then it has to clarify why does it need so much land ? If it says it has to set up two runways… in India, two runways are available only in airports in major cities like Delhi and Chennai. Why does Pune, a much smaller city, need two runways? It looks like they want to dole out projects to the contractors of their choice,” alleged Adhalrao-Patil.
