Land protest rocks Ranchi airport

Ranchi: Over 100 air passengers who had arrived from New Delhi this afternoon were held up for more than an hour at the newly refurbished airport terminal as a group of farmers blocked the exit to protest against land being acquired for the Birsa Munda Airport’s expansion.
While 90 passengers arrived around 1pm by Air India (IC-809) flight from New Delhi, 30 arrived by an MDLR (No 171) flight half an hour later. But over 800 villagers owing allegiance to the CPM’s farmers’ wing, Kisan Sabha, had gathered there from 1pm blocking the entry and exit points, demanding that notices issued for land acquisition near the airport be withdrawn.
Though the district administration had made elaborate arrangements to avoid inconveniencing passengers, deputing Rapid Action Force (RAF) jawans and a good number of district armed policemen, it could not prevent demonstrators from damaging some of the vehicles that had come to pick up the arriving passengers held up for one-and-a-half hours .
Airport director Raju Raghavendra Kumar admitted the blockade, but added that it did not last long.
Most of the villagers were from Chandaghasi, Hethu and Kutte, areas which have been notified for land acquisition vide Ranchi District Gazette no 31, 32 and 37 published on July 2 for the extension of the Birsa Munda Airport.
Sub-divisional officer Suchi Tyagi said the villagers agreed to call off their protest when the airport authority sought 15 days’ time to get back to them.
22/09/09 The Telegraph

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Categories: Airports Sep 2009