: Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and Mattannur MLA E.P. Jayarajan alleged that some ‘lobbies’ are hampering the development of the Kannur international airport coming up near Mattannur.
Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, Mr. Jayarajan said that though the airport was originally planned to have a 4,000-metre runway, efforts are now on to reduce it to 2,400 metres in a bid to get the project hastily inaugurated. A private aircraft has been requisitioned for the trial landing on the runway; he said adding that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Minister for ports K. Babu are behind the moves to ensure the speedy inauguration of the runway. The reduced runway length would be an obstacle to the development of the airport into a major hub that can be used for the operation of bigger airline services, he said.
The MLA said that the LDF government had proposed the 4,000-metre runway. The UDF government reduced it to 3,050 metres, which was later extended to 3,400 metres following protests, he said adding that now the plans for inauguration was being arranged without the development of other amenities such as apron, passenger terminal building, air traffic control tower, fire station and taxi park among others.
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He said that he would stage a one-day fast in front of the project site on October 20 to protest the alleged bid to diminish the airport’s chance of developing into a major hub. Preparations for the inauguration are going on even as the work remains incomplete, he said adding that the CPI(M) would not allow any effort to partially commission the airport project. He said the present moves are part of a political stunt to use the airport project for political gains in the election.