: The Joint Action Council (JAC) has accused the district administration and the government of conspiring to assign government land, including natural streams, roads, and a portion of a wetland, in Aranmula to a private airport company, in disregard to the Kerala High Court order for time-bound restoration of the natural stream, Karimaramthodu, in Aranmula Puncha.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, A. Padmakumar, Shaji Chacko, P.R. Shaji, Ajith Pullad and Sarathchandrakumar, action council office-bearers, alleged that the District Collector had reported to the government that the puramboke land that fell under the area identified for a proposed private airport project was in the possession of KGS Aranmula International Airport Ltd. This was in contradiction to the Land Revenue Commissioner’s report that the government had cleared the encroachment and retrieved the puramboke land in Aranmula Puncha, they alleged. It is also a fact that the Revenue Department had carried out a survey of the puramboke land in Aranmula Puncha and the extent of the illegally converted portion of the Karimaramthodu in July, 2014. The survey team had eventually erected boards on the land declaring it as ‘Government land’. The action council leaders also released supporting documents procured by them through the Right To Information Act.
Court order
The Kerala High Court had ordered restoration of the natural stream, Karimaramthode, on June 6, 2014 and the District Collector was yet to implement the Court directive for reasons best known to him, alleged the action council leaders.
A meeting convened by the Industries Minister on July 10, 2014 had unanimously decided to renotify the puramboke land, including the natural stream, in Aranmula Puncha as Industrial Area for the proposed Aranmula airport, sidelining the Court order for restoration of the stream, they alleged.
The Revenue Minister, Aranmula MLA, Industrices Secretary, and the District Collector had also attended the meeting.
The action council leaders said the Collector should clarify as to what prompted him to make a such a confusing statement before the government that the puramboke land was still in the possession of the private company.
They called for a fair probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the entire issue.
Collector’s report said land belonged to KGS firm
Court order on restoration of stream not heeded
