Madras High Court Issues Eviction Order for Madurai Airport Expansion Project
The Madras High Court has issued a firm directive to residents of Chinna Udaippu village in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, ordering them to vacate their land parcels within a strict two-week timeframe. This land was previously acquired by the state government for the crucial expansion and development of Madurai airport.
Court's Directive and Government's Authority
The division bench, comprising Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan, made it explicitly clear that failure to comply with the eviction order would authorize the government to take possession of the land by using force, as permitted under the relevant statute. This stern warning underscores the court's stance on the urgency of the airport project.
Rehabilitation Offer and Conditions
Simultaneously, the court has outlined a rehabilitation package for the affected villagers. The petitioners have been directed to submit their consent letters to the Madurai district collector within the same two-week period to accept the government's offer.
- The government is offering 2 cents of developed land in the nearby area of Perungudi.
- Upon receiving the consent and verifying eligibility, the collector must allot this land within two weeks.
- The state has also undertaken to construct residential houses for the villagers at government cost under the special "Kalaignarin Kanavu Illam" rehabilitation scheme.
Background of the Case and Petitioners' Grievances
The court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by the villagers of Chinna Udaippu, who number approximately 300 families belonging to the scheduled caste community. The legal dispute has its roots in a 2009 notification for land acquisition aimed at airport expansion.
Notifications for fixing compensation were issued between 2013 and 2020, with distribution completed by 2023. However, the petitioners argued that during this entire acquisition process, the authorities failed to initiate a proper rehabilitation plan. Their specific demands included:
- Provision of alternative land.
- Construction of new houses.
- A government job for at least one member from every affected household.
Claiming these demands were not considered, the villagers moved the court in 2024 seeking an order to prevent their eviction.
Court's Observations and Rationale for Dismissal
The judges noted that the state government and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) decided to acquire 633.17 acres of land to address the long-pending demand of southern Tamil Nadu's residents for upgrading Madurai airport to international status. Acquisition proceedings for over 90% of the lands were substantially completed well before 2010.
The court observed that the petitioners alone stalled the acquisition process, preventing authorities from taking possession of the remaining lands even after they had received compensation. To address their grievances, the state government took a special policy decision to allot land and assist with house construction.
"The government has acted in a fair, reasonable, and magnanimous manner in granting additional compensation and also to provide alternative house sites to the petitioners," the bench stated. They further remarked that the continuous objection by the petitioners, despite the government's offer, "establishes their clear intention to obstruct the project without any bona fides under the guise of caste with vested interest." Consequently, the court dismissed all the petitions.
