The Kerala High Court issued a stay on the land acquisition notification related to the proposed Sabarimala airport. The interim order directs officials not to proceed with any further steps regarding the acquisition for a period of two months.
Kerala: Today (April 24): The Kerala High Court issued an interim order suspending a state government notification related to the acquisition of land for the construction of the Sabarimala Greenfield airport in Kottayam district. The plea was filed by a charitable trust and its managing trustee, alleging that the land acquisition process was an unlawful attempt to take over their property. The court order directs the officials not to proceed with any further steps of land acquisition for two months.
The Ayana Charitable Trust and its managing trustee, Siny Punnoose, jointly filed a petition arguing that the land acquisition notification aimed to unlawfully acquire their rubber plantation measuring approximately 2,263 acres.
The trust, represented by advocate Rishikesh Haridas, senior advocate Amit Sibal, and advocate Dhiraj Philip, asserted that the state government had been pursuing their property since it was acquired in 2005. They cited previous Kerala High Court orders that invalidated Government actions attempting to seize their land.
“During the pendency of the writ petition, an interim order has been issued, directing the official respondents to refrain from taking any further actions based on the Ext.P43 notification (pertaining to land acquisition) issued under Section 11(1) of the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, for a duration of 2 months,” stated the court. Advocate Rishikesh Haridas, representing the trust, confirmed the details of the court order.
The proposed Sabarimala Greenfield airport, located in Erumeli South and Manimala villages of Kottayam district, received site and defense clearance from the Central Government. The state Government emphasized that the airport would enhance the convenience of pilgrims visiting the hilltop shrine of Lord Ayyappa in Pathanamthitta district and promote tourism, ultimately boosting the local economy. Additionally, the government highlighted the airport’s potential to facilitate international travel for the region’s residents.
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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the state assembly in February that the Ministry of Home Affairs was considering the application for security clearance for the project.
He also mentioned that an environmental impact study had been conducted and that a seven-member expert committee appointed to review the final Social Impact Assessment (SIA) study report had submitted its recommendations. Consequently, the process of acquiring approximately 2,570 acres of land for airport construction has commenced.
The petitioners’ plea seeks the annulment of the appointment of the Centre for Management Development (CMD) to conduct the SIA study, the CMD’s report, the expert committee’s recommendations, the sanction granted for land acquisition, and the land acquisition notification.
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