Kerala CM voices support for Aranmula airport project

By Ashraf Padanna/Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy reiterated his support to the proposed international airport in the Kerala town of Aranmula in Pathanamthitta district provided it clears all legal hurdles.

He was reacting to Wednesday’s order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) rejecting the environmental impact study of an “incompetent” professional agency on the basis of which the federal environment ministry cleared India’s first private international airport project.

“The government need not move the court (to get the ban on construction on the present site lifted). It’s up to its promoters to put all the clearances in place,” Chandy said yesterday.

“They approached federal agencies on the basis of in-principle clearance given by my predecessor”.

The state government has 10% “sweat” equity in the KGS Aranmula International Airport Ltd which is building the Rs20bn greenfield airport, the fifth in the state that attracts a large number of leisure travellers and exports labour to the Gulf.

Following the NGT order, the greens and opposition politicians have decided to step up pressure against the airport. Gigy George, the managing director of the Chennai-based KGS Group in which Reliance Infra also holds a stake, said the company would go ahead with the project in 700 acres as it was stalled on technical grounds.

“The verdict was purely on technical grounds which we can challenge in a proper legal forum,” said George. “We will go ahead with the project after making the necessary corrections that the tribunal wanted”.

If it fails to get the two-member regional bench’s order overruled, the entire process of assessing its impact on the environment has to be repeated and environmental clearance applied for afresh.

The government is of the view that no infrastructure project bringing in investments and jobs should be stalled on such grounds.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in particular is keen to salvage the biggest private sector investment in his state. The promoters also expect support from the newly-installed Narendra Modi administration which is preparing to fast-track nearly 300 such stalled projects worth $330bn to revive the economy that saw its growth slipping below 5% for the past three years in a row.

Both the newly-elected lawmaker from Pathanamthitta, Anto Antony, and legislator representing Aranmula constituency, K Sivadasan Nair, are strongly in favour of the airport.

In fact, Antony contested the polls on the pro-airport plank defeating his anti-airport opponent. “I am supporter of the airport and I would continue to be so. It’s up the promoters to come clean and take the project forward,” said Antony who garnered more votes in Aranmula segment than Sivadasan Nair.

The greens say the airport is being set up over a large tract of wetland and water bodies that would spell doom for the flora and fauna of the heritage village.

Some also question the economic viability of the project since two other airports - Trivandrum and Kochi- are not far away.

“Please leave the question of economic viability to the investors. We are receiving enthusiastic response from a lot of expatriates,” said George who manages the firm with two other professionals.