After a gap of 10 months, the advisory committee of the Calicut International Airport, operating under the Airports Authority of India, is being reconstituted.
The new committee is being constituted based on the revised guidelines for the formation of the advisory committee by the Ministry of Civil Aviation so as to widen representation from among different stakeholders. Besides, putting an end to the dominance of any particular political party securing their positions on these panels.
However, the main objective for reconstitution is to make the airport user-friendly, considering passenger amenities and facilities. Previously, the advisory committee has been drawing flak for its failure to address the requirements of passengers. Now, the tenure of the nominated members will be only two years. Also, a member can be renominated only after four years. The new committee should have been constituted by January. But its formation was delayed for various reasons including the Lok Sabha polls. Incidentally, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is yet to nominate three members directly to the committee, sources said.
The new committee will have a key role in the development of the airport. The frequency of the committee meetings will also be revised. The committee usually holds quarterly meetings.
However, elected representatives have been given due representation on the advisory committee. The local Member of Parliament is the chairman of the committee. P.K. Kunhalikutty, who represents the Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency, where the airport is located, is the new chairman. Kozhikode M.P., M.K. Raghavan, will be the co-chairman and P. Abdul Hameed, MLA, is the vice chairman.
The chairman, who has been empowered to do so, has also nominated Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) Malappuram district president Panakkad Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal and P.V. Valsaraj to the committee. They have been nominated from the field of political and social background.
The other nominated members are C.E. Chakkunny, president of Malabar Development Council; Khairu Rahim Patterkadavan, CEO, Zaharani Group, and Noushad Kalappadan, treasurer, Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti, Malappuram district. They represent the category of trade and industry (airlines/ hotel federation). The airport director will be the convener of the committee and Malappuram District Collector and District Police Chief as ex-officio members.
