SC Clears Kuppam Airport Land Acquisition, Dismisses Petitions

TIRUPATI: The Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for the Kuppam airport project in Chittoor district by dismissing a legal challenge to the land acquisition process, bringing an end to a prolonged dispute.A bench led by Justice Dipankar Datta dismissed petitions challenging the acquisition of around 150 acres identified for the airport in Kuppam. The court said there were no grounds to revisit the judgment delivered earlier by the AP high court. The dispute centred around notifications issued by the Chittoor collector to acquire land for the project. Petitioners, including Chakrapani Reddy and others, questioned both the basis and procedure of the acquisition, arguing that there was no clear evidence to establish the suitability of the selected land and that public purpose had not been adequately explained. They also contended that the social impact assessment report was not shared with them and that they were not given sufficient opportunity to raise objections during the High Court proceedings. However, the apex court declined to accept these arguments and chose not to interfere with the high court’s ruling, which had upheld the acquisition notifications. With this, all pending petitions linked to the issue stand closed, removing the remaining legal uncertainty around the project. Officials said the decision would help the Kuppam airport project to move forward. The proposed airport is aimed at improving air connectivity in the southern part of AP and supporting horticulture and industrial activities, attracting investments and generating employment in the region.



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