Land Acquisition Hurdle Cleared for Kuppam Greenfield Airport in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh
The long-pending Kuppam greenfield airport project in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, has received a fresh push after the state government cleared compensation for 178.32 acres of land cultivated by 143 farmers who lacked formal title records, paving the way for further land acquisition in Ramakuppam and Santhipuram mandals.
The government had earlier issued a notification to acquire 1,405 acres across the two mandals, with a substantial portion already acquired at ₹16 lakh per acre. The fresh approval covers farmers cultivating land without DKT pattas, succession documents, or formal ownership records, with the government sanctioning compensation of ₹12.44 lakh per acre for these parcels as a special, one-time settlement. Orders for the settlement were issued by Chief Secretary G Sai Prasad in his capacity as special chief secretary of the revenue department.
The land parcels are spread across multiple villages, including 46.74 acres in Kilakipodu, 48.11 acres in Manendram, and 10.78 acres in Kadasinakuppam in Ramakuppam mandal, and 51.23 acres in Ammavaripeta and 10.32 acres in Sonneganipalle in Santhipuram mandal.
The airport is being developed under the Swarna Kuppam Vision 2029 plan, which aims to strengthen Kuppam's role within the Chennai-Bangalore Industrial Corridor and support industrial growth by improving business connectivity. Industrial parks developed by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) are expected to benefit from the improved logistics access.
Once developed, the airport is planned to feature modern passenger facilities, automated check-in systems, and dedicated cargo infrastructure, including a cargo terminal designed to handle up to one million metric tonnes annually with temperature-controlled and cold storage areas to support agricultural and perishable produce exports.