By Ashraf Padanna/Thiruvananthapuram


Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy yesterday said the government would go ahead with the proposed Aranmula International Airport, in which it holds a 10% stake, despite opposition.
He also said the notice for a public hearing for the final clearance to the Kannur International Airport, in which expatriates were invited to invest, would be issued on Saturday and the project would get rolling within a month.   
“Don’t think that the protesters (against Aranmula airport) represent the local population who are aware of the benefits that such a big infrastructure project to the region’s economic landscape,” Chandy said. “There were similar protests against the Cochin airport too.”
The greenfield airport is coming up in what critics say ‘illegally reclaimed, ecologically fragile” land in Pathanamthitta district of the state.
Recently, environment activists and politicians, including Peelipose Thomas, a senior leader of the ruling Congress Party in the district, joined hands against the Rs20bn project saying it would lead to large-scale destruction of environment and heritage.
Chandy, however, feels he is left with no option but to back the project, involving a huge amount of money, cleared by his predecessor. Sabotaging it would send out a wrong message about the state, he said. The project has also received all federal clearances.  
“We take decisions on such big projects on the basis of merits. In a democracy, governments will change, but there should be continuity in the process and policies to ensure confidence in investors,” the chief minister said.
“If you found anything illegal or detrimental to the interests of the people, you could have stopped it there instead of giving it the go-ahead. My government only gave the final nod after it obtained all mandatory clearances from the authorities,” he said citing the order of his predecessor V S Achuthanandan, who had since changed his position.     
The Taluk Land Board of the region last week directed the officials to take possession of the land, invoking the relevant provisions in the Kerala Land Reforms Act.
The parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture, headed by Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury, had recently asked the federal government to reconsider its decision.
However, Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said the government had no intention to backtrack on the project.  
The runway length of the airport is planned to be 3,100m, making it the largest in the state, and the terminal building will handle 1,000 passengers at a time. It will cater to passengers from Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki and Alappuzha districts.