Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) today promised a 'golden handshake' for the estimated 60,000 families living in slums around the international airport so that the proposed Rs 5,200 crore expansion plan can go ahead. The promise was made by MIAL before the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan.The company had appealed to the Supreme Court against the order of the Bombay High Court, which had fixed the cut-off date for rehabilitation of the displaced persons as 1995. The Maharashtra government had earlier changed the date from 1995 to 2000. However, in the High Court order, the date was set as 1995. In today's order, the Supreme Court set the date as 2000.The expasion project of MIAL will double the capacity of the airport by 2014.Harish Salve, senior counsel of MIAL, told the Suprem Court that there would be problem in identifying persons who had settled before or after the cut-off date. However, if the uncertainty about the cut-off date was cleared, the company will undertake the rehabilitation plan for the project-affected persons. They would get money, houses, shops and other benefits.He submitted that the existence of the large slum near the runway was a security risk. Without removing the hutments, it was not possible to build new runways. At present, the airport was suffering from congestion. Therefore, it was absolutely essential to remove the slum cluster, one of the largest in Asia.The petition was originally filed by Janhit Manch. They alleged that though the World Bank had laid a condition to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Develpoment Authoriy (MMRDA) to shift the project-affected people within two-three km of their existing homes, the authorities have not been willing to make the commitment.Most of the slum dwellers work in the airport. They are afraid that they would be shifted to far-away places where they have to find new work. Janhit Manch allege that the state government provided ample land for big developers but none for the poorer sections of society. The promised 'golden shake' comes in the wake of these fears expressed on behalf of the slum dwellers.
