Airport to be set up in Karaikal

Puducherry: An airport would be set up in Karaikal on a 650 acre site, Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy said on Tuesday.

He was replying to A Anbalagan (AIADMK) and P R Siva (MDMK) during question hour in the assembly.

He said as far as expansion of the runway in Puducherry airport was concerned, he had requested his Tamil Nadu counterpart M Karunanidhi for earmarking necessary site from the Tamil Nadu limits.

The Puducherry government had planned to acquire on its part a 20 hectare site with an investment of Rs.18.27 crore. A 2500 metre runway would be made available and it would be able to operate a 60 seater aircraft.

He told Nandha T Saravanan (DMK) that a Rs.23 crore project for desalination of sea water would be set up in Muthialpet so as to meet rise in demand for potable water.

Education and Fisheries Minister M O H F Shahjahan told M V Omalingam (AIAMDK) that a fisheries training institute with an investment of Rs.92.50 lakh would be started in Karaikal.

Industries Minister V Vaithilingam told R K R Anandaraman (PMK) and Dr M A S Subaramanian (DMK) that a modernisation scheme to tone up government owned AFT mill had been prepared and the project had since been approved by government.