The Kerala High Court intervened on Thursday, pausing the state government’s notification aimed at expediting land acquisition for the proposed Sabarimala airport. This decision followed a plea from Ayana Charitable Trust, formerly known as Gospel for Asia under the Believers Church, with Justice Viju Abraham leading the bench. Last March, the government initiated a notification to acquire 1000.28 hectares of land from 441 holders. However, legal concerns regarding the social impact study and land ownership determination halted the proceedings.
The trust, in its plea, emphasized its uncontested ownership of the Cheruvally estate designated for the airport’s development. They argued that the government’s failure to acknowledge their ownership makes the land acquisition illegal. Additionally, they contested the lawfulness of the land acquisition notification.
Under the preliminary notification dated March 13, 2024, the government mandated the acquisition of 1000.28 hectares, including parcels from various survey numbers in Erumeli South and Manimala villages. This encompassed 2264.09 acres of the Cheruvally Estate, as per Section 11(1) of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Act. Compensation details were provided under the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, and the Kottayam Special Tehsildar was assigned as the collector for the process.
The social impact report indicates that while the Sabarimala airport project is expected to enhance travel convenience to the Sabarimala temple and boost tourism and local economy, it will also lead to the eviction of 285 houses and 358 landowners, affecting 221 families in the Cheruvalli Estate. Moreover, approximately 325,000 trees, including rubber and teak, may require removal. Despite these concerns, the report recommends proceeding with the project with proper compensation, as prepared by the Thiruvananthapuram Center for Management Development.
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