Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram   

Govt. yet to acquire land for airport development

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM July 24. The attempts of the Government to acquire the remaining three acres of land needed in the first phase for the construction of the proposed world-class terminal for the State's premier international airport has so far not succeeded.

Stiff opposition from the families residing on the left side of the Chakkai Bridge and the local people were preventing the district administration from acquiring the land for the project.

On Wednesday, the Division Bench of the High Court stayed the land acquisition on the basis of a petition from the local people that the permission of the Union Environment Ministry was not obtained for commencing the terminal project.

The District Collector, E. Ayappan, said that of the 51 holdings on three acres of land, 14 had already vacated the site after a notice issued by the Special Tahsildar, Land Acquisition, Airport, to the families to vacate the land on or before July 4.

The notice was served in the first week of July after the High Court vacated the stay against the acquisition of the land and dismissed the case filed by the local people.

Since then, the families and the local people have been agitating against the land acquisition and the project under the banner of Joint Action Council for Airport Development.

Mr. Ayappan said the district administration would take steps to get the stay vacated and to acquire the remaining 2.30 acres of land needed for the project at the earliest.

The council has decided to strengthen the stir demanding adequate compensation and rehabilitation for the displaced families. "The council has decided in principle to organise airport blockade and to block the local legislator for his failure to fulfil the commitments given at the time of election,'' according to the council secretary V. C. Das.

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