'Speed up Sriperumbudur airport work'.

PMK leader S. Ramadoss has urged the Centre to speed up the construction of the new airport at Sriperumbudur, saying that the number of travellers using the Chennai airport was increasing significantly.

In a statement here, he said the Centre should construct and maintain the new airport at Sriperumbudur instead of doing it as a Public- Private Partnership (PPP) venture.

'This may lead to unnecessary problems in the long run. Hence, the Centre should take up the construction and maintenance of the airport through the AAI,' Dr. Ramadoss said. Seeking to know why the construction work had not started even though 7,000 acres had been identified and the feasibility study completed, he said the highway and metro rail track to connect the airport to the heart of the city should also be envisaged and work started simultaneously.

THE HINDU