The State government will hold discussions with all stakeholders before going ahead with the acquisition of land from the Vallakkadavu and Karali areas for the development of Thiruvananthapuram international airport, Minister for Transport V.S. Sivakumar has said.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the capital on August 8, Mr. Sivakumar said in a statement issued here on Saturday.
The decision to acquire land for the second phase of the airport terminal development, on the Chakka side, was taken by the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and the United Democratic Front (UDF) government had not taken any decision in this regard, Mr. Sivakumar said.
The government had asked the District Collector to hold talks in this regard with local residents and those likely to be displaced. “The views and emotions of the people will be considered by the government before taking a decision in this regard,” Mr. Sivakumar said.
The Vallakadavu-Vayyamoola Joint Action Council took out a march to the Secretariat on Saturday in protest against the government move to acquire land for airport development. Hundreds of people took out a march from the Asan Square seeking to stop all eviction moves.
A. Sampath, MP, inaugurated the march. A hartal was also observed in the Enchakkal, Valllakadavu, Vayyamoola, Puthen road, Priyadarsini Nagar, Sulaiman Street to support the cause.
The council had called upon the government to stop all land acquisition plans as ‘hundreds of families would be displaced.' It had also demanded the constitution of a commission to study the implications of ‘unscientific eviction' and to look into the lack of infrastructure facilities in the area. Councillors, former legislators, and representatives of political parties, social organisations, trade unions, and residents' associations took part in the march.
