Court ruling not a setback, says Kerala Minister; Sabarimala airport project slips into uncertainty

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 19 (IANS) Kerala Revenue Minister K. Rajan on Monday sought to play down the Pala sub-court verdict on the Cheruvally Estate, asserting that the ruling does not amount to a setback for the Pinarayi Vijayan-led State government.

The Pinarayi Vijayan government was going ahead with the project, which, if cleared will become the fifth airport in the state.

He maintained that the court had flagged only procedural lapses and had not delivered a conclusive finding on the ownership of the land earmarked for the proposed Sabarimala Greenfield airport.

Responding to media queries after visiting the township being constructed in Wayanad, the Minister said the government would examine the judgment in detail before deciding on the next course of action.

“The verdict pertains to procedural aspects. It is not a judgment on the ownership of the land,” Rajan said.

The Pala court earlier in the day had dismissed the government’s petition claiming ownership over 2,263 acres of land at the Cheruvally Estate, holding that the land belongs to the Ayyana Charitable Trust.

The court rejected the State’s argument that the lease period of the estate had expired and that the land stood vested with the government.

With this, the future of the Sabarimala airport project has once again been pushed into uncertainty, as the government can proceed with acquisition only if it succeeds in overturning the verdict in a higher court.

The Cheruvally Estate, spread across Erumeli South and Manimala villages, had been identified as the core land parcel for the proposed airport.

The State had argued that, as per the 1910 Settlement Register, the land fell under the category of government lease land and that Harrison Malayalam had illegally transferred it to the Trust.

However, the court accepted the Trust’s contention that it holds valid documents establishing ownership.

The case, which dates back to 2019, names the Ayyana Charitable Trust of the Believers Church and Harrison Malayalam as respondents.

The ruling assumes significance in the backdrop of earlier setbacks suffered by the government, including the Kerala High Court quashing land acquisition notifications for the airport on grounds that the extent of land sought was excessive and inadequately justified under the 2013 Land Acquisition Act.