In State Legislature

International airport soon Chief Minister Manohar Joshi today informed the legislative assembly that he would personally call on Prime Minis...

International airport soon

Chief Minister Manohar Joshi today informed the legislative assembly that he would personally call on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee next week to discuss the proposal for setting up of an international airport near Mumbai. Joshi said the committee headed by the Chief Secretary will examine the possibility of setting up an airport at either Navi Mumbai, Rewas-Mandwa or Sindhudurg. "If it is not possible to set up an international airport, we will set up a domestic airport at one of these places," he declared.

Amendments rejected

Congress-led opposition members staged a walkout after their proposal to amend the Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control, the Bombay Land Requisition and the Bombay Government Premises (Eviction) Acts were rejected by voice vote.

Following Supreme Court directives, the government today moved a bill to amend the legislation to grant protection to certain categories of requisitioned premises. Housing MinisterSureshdada Jain said if the amendment was not passed at the earliest, his government would be unable to protect 832 requisitioned premises. Opposing the bill, Congress members R R Patil, Dilip Walse Patil and Arun Gujrathi roundly attacked the government on its failure to protect requisitioned premises occupied by schools in Dadar, Joshi’s constituency. Congress members said the government and the CM in particular had failed to protect the K J Khilnani school in Dadar.

Thane-Trombay rail link

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The CM said work on the Thane-Trombay rail link should be ready for passenger traffic by the end of 2000. The CM said 2.4 hectares of land was necessary for the link, of which 1.27 hectares was privately owned. The government had acquired 0.80 hectares till date. The proposed link will cost about Rs 403.39 crore, of which 67 per cent will be borne by the CIDCO. The remaining costs will be borne by the railway ministry.

Compensation for farmers

Minister of state for Urban Development,Ravindra Mane, today said around 26,000 of the 59,752 farmers from whom the government had acquired land to develop the Navi Mumbai township will be awarded compensation by the end of May, 1998.