Nod for taking over Cheruvally estate for Sabarimala airport

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A high level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has decided to take over land in Cheruvally estate for building Sabarimala airport.

The Transport department has been entrusted with the job to make an assessment of land that will be required to build Greenfield airport.

The proposed Sabarimala Greenfield international airport in Central Travancore is to come up on the estate, 2.5 km from the Theni-Kottarakara National Highway and close to Erumeli town in Kottayam district.

The estate is located on the way to the Ayyappa temple at Sabariamala, 136 km from the State capital and 113 km from Kochi. Once commissioned, this would be the fifth international airport in the State.

The estate in Kanjirappally taluk, the subject of litigation for sometime now, is spread over 2,263 acres, mostly plain land, situated close to two NH corridors and five PWD roads.

Even two years ago an agreement had been reached to take over 2263 acre land under the possession of Cheruvally estate. If the land faces any dispute over ownership, the government will deposit an amount equivalent to the value of the acquired land in the court, in accordance with 2013 Land Acquisition Act Section 77. The amount will be handed over to the owner on the basis of final court order.