The government is committed to acquiring 7.2 hectares of land sought by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) from the Vallakadavu-Karali area for further development of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, Minister for Cooperation and Tourism Kadakampally Surendran has said.
“There is opposition to the State acquiring the land as many to be displaced had parted with the land earlier for airport development. We have decided to wait till the social impact study and proceed with land acquisition taking all into confidence,” the Minister said while replying to a query at a press meet here on Thursday.
On the Light Metro mooted to solve the traffic and transportation problems in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, the Minister said the government was following it up in Delhi as the Central nod was awaited for the mass rapid transit project (MRTS) project.
Claiming that the State capital was much cleaner than other cities, the Minister said even setting up a small unit for waste disposal was being opposed by residents.
“We have two to three options, including use of the government land,” he said, adding that the mindset of people should change and the city should go for decentralised waste disposal to end the garbage menace.
Four-lane road
The Nedumangad-Vazhayila road would be made four-lane and foreign assistance would be sought for the renovation and restoration of the Parvathy Puthanar.
A space museum in memory of ‘Missile Man’ A.P.J. Abdul Kalam would be set up at Kowdiar and the biodiversity park at Vallakadavu would be commissioned in August.
Detailing the development projects rolled out in the capital district by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government during the last one year, Mr. Surendran said the Public Works Department alone executed road works to the tune of ₹116 crore in the district.
