The Central and State governments should take steps to develop the proposed private international airport at Aranmula, Kerala Congress(M) district general secretary George Mathew has said.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, he said a resolution passed by the district committee on Monday stressed the importance of the project. The meeting, chaired by party district president Victor T. Thomas, said certain sections had been trying to sabotage the project.
Mr. Thomas said the project would facilitate a development leap of the Central Travancore region, especially Pathanamthitta. He called upon party workers to launch a campaign to make the people aware of the benefits of the project. Those who opposed the project were detractors of development, he said.
The project should be implemented without displacing people or posing threat to places of worship, he added.
Withdraw notification: CPI
A statement issued by Communist Party of India (CPI) district secretary P. Prasad urged the government to take steps to withdraw the notification issued by the Industries Department declaring 500 acres of land spread across the villages of Aranmula, Mallappuzhasserry, and Kidangannur as industrial area in February, 2011 as a gesture to promote the project.
The Industries Department action was in gross violation of the prevailing laws of the land. The private party had converted more than 100 acres of paddy fields and wetlands in the name of the airport project, he said.
The CPI leader called upon the district administration to take stern action against the ‘illegal' land conversion. He sought reconversion of the land in the larger interests of protecting the environment and ecology of the region.
