Govt gives clearance to acquire land for Sabarimala airport

Thiruvananthapuram: The government has given clearance to acquire 2,263.18 acres of Cheruvally Estate in Erumeli in Kottayam, which was under the possession of Gospel for Asia Charitable Trust, for the proposed greenfield airport for Sabarimala.
In the order issued in this regard by principal secretary (revenue) A Jayathilak, the government has given permission to Kottayam district collector to takeover the land under sections of Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The entire cost of compensation for the land acquisition will be deposited before the high court since there still exists a dispute over the title of the land. The further action to disburse the compensation will be made based on the verdict of the HC.
The government’s main hurdle will be to end the legal proceedings in the HC before going ahead with the project on the land.
The estate extending to 2,263.18 acres held by Gospel for Asia was part of 5,200 acres that was taken over by M G Rajamanickam, special officer appointed for resumption of land held by HML. After inspecting the sale documents of the estate, he found that the sale deed of the estate did not contain any survey number included in original document 1600/1923 held by HML, and issued notice for eviction. HML had disputed the takeover in the court, and the court had ordered in favour of HML.
Subsequently, the government asked all district collectors (HML holds land in eight districts) to file a civil suit in the respective local courts within the jurisdiction of which the land is situated, claiming ownership of the land.
The civil suit will now decide the fate of 76,769 acres which is with the company and others who have purchased land from the company or its predecessor companies situated in Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Wayanad. The new airport in Erumeli was suggested in lieu of the abandoned Aranmula airport, that had run into several issues, including the violation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act.
Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran has claimed that there is large-scale corruption in the government’s decision to acquire the land for the project. He said that since the lease period has expired, court orders are asking the government to take over the land. When such an order is in force, the decision of the government to acquire the land by paying compensation to Gospel for Asia is dubious, he said.