Journalism of Courage
Shirur MP Shivajirao Adhalrao-Patil blamed lack of proper coordination on the part of the government for the stalemate on the issue of the Pune International Airport. At an Idea Exchange at The Indian Express office,Adhalrao claimed the state government does not have the political will to ensure that the airport comes up in Pune.
The state government had identified land at Chakan,but that did not materialise as the land was technically non-feasible. However,without taking anyone into confidence,land in Waki was identified. I looked into the matter and it came to my notice that more than 65 per cent of the land was farmland. In 2004,I had asked about the norms of land acquisition for government projects and the central government had replied that not more than 65 per cent of land should be farmland, he said.
Adhalrao said that was the reason he protested against the project. Adhalrao said the reason for his protest was that farmers were never taken into confidence before land acquisition. No one spoke to me or the farmers before announcing the proposed land and that is the main reason for the protest, he said.
Adhalrao declared that if the government takes the local leaders into confidence,before announcing any land,the process of land acquisition would be made easier.
He went on to claim that no one in the state government was sure about the location of the proposed airport. Most of the time,the leaders make tall claims which are not substantiated by any proof, he said.
