The veteran Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran has said that the UDF government is making the same mistakes as that of the previous LDF government regarding the Aranmula airport project.
Inaugurating the delegates session of Kerala NGO Association here on Wednesday, Mr. Sudheeran said that the LDF government made a mistake in giving sanction in principle for the airport project without conducting an environment impact assessment study, technical and economic feasibility study and examining other issues such as conversion of paddy field and land utilization laws.
“The UDF government instead of correcting the mistakes of the previous LDF government is promoting the airport without considering its social, economic and environment impacts on the people of that area. Another mistake of the UDF government was that it took 10 per cent share in the controversial airport project,” the Congress leader said.
He said the UDF government should have conducted the required studies and examined the violation of various laws such as the Kerala Land Reforms Act, Kerala Wetland Protection Act, Land Utilisation Act, by the promoters of the airport project before giving sanction.
He said development projects should be transparent and be aimed for the development of the State and its people.
On the controversy over the Madhav Gadgil and K. Kasturirrangan Committee reports on Western Ghat protection, Mr. Sudheeran said that the government should publicise these reports and get the reactions of the people before implementing it.
He said there is no difference of opinion on the need to protect Western Ghats as it provides drinking water to 28 crore people in various States including Kerala.
Already many parts of the State are facing the problem of landslides due to the destruction of the Western Ghats.
If things continued Kerala may also have to face the fury of nature that had devastated Uttarakhand recently, he warned.
