Residents of Vallakadavu, Vayyamoola and Karali in the city took out a march here on Sunday under the aegis of the Vallakadavu- Vayyamoola- Karali Joint Action Council to protest against the move to acquire 88 acres from the area for the Thiruvananthapuram airport.
The residents also held a dharna at the Enjackal junction. Activist B.R.P. Bhaskar inaugurated the dharna.
A statement released by the action council said that the proposed land acquisition was unnecessary as airport development authorities had already acquired 27 acres for constructing an international terminal and auxiliary facilities, works on which were nearing completion.
The residents claimed that the Chief Minister, Civil Aviation Minister and the airport authorities had earlier assured them that no more land would be required for airport development. However, without any explanation the authorities were demanding acquisition of an additional 88 acres. “We are living in the constant fear of being displaced from our land. This is a cruel tactic of the authorities, especially when they themselves assured us that no more land will be required for airport development,” said action council convenor N. Vikraman Nair.
He said that around 600 families would be affected by the proposed acquisition.
Chakka ward councillor S. Ratheendran said it was not clear why the authorities were demanding further land acquisition when around 17 acres of fallow land acquired by them for the international terminal was remaining unused.
“Around 1,000 families have already been displaced from this area at different stages in the last 50 years in the name of airport development. The families displaced over the years have not yet been given full compensation by the government. They were also not offered any job created as part of the development or any special rehabilitation package,” he said.
