Thiruvananthapuram: The government order identifying Cheruvally estate for the proposed Sabarimala airport project is silent on the legal hurdles involved, but only mentions it as the ‘Harrison Plantation Estate known as Cheruvally estate’ and highlights the geographical advantages.
According to the order, the criteria for identifying the land were extent of land available for airport and other related development activities, road access, distance to Sabarimala Ayyappa temple and cities like Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, terrain suitable for airport and extent of reserve forests involved. Cheruvally was the ideal considering these, said the order.
Sources said that though the government was moving swiftly by issuing the orders identifying the land within two days after the Cabinet took a decision in this regard, the actual taking over of land may not be a smooth exercise owing to the ownership dispute pending with the Believers Church of India (BCI).
Harrison Malayalam Plantations sold the estate to BCI in 2005. But the government later decided to take over the land on the basis of a report of special officer M G Rajamanickam that the land transfer was illegal. BCI challenged this at the High Court and the matter was still pending.
Apart from Cheruvally, the committee headed by additional chief secretary (revenue) P H Kurian identified five sites - Propose Estate of Travancore Rubbers at Kottayam, Vellanad Estate in Kottayam, Laha Estate in Ranni, Kalleli estate and Kumbazha estate, both in Konni. Kalleli and Kumbazha were rejected on the grounds that there was no scope for further development activities at this spot. Vellanad estate was rejected citing lack of direct road connectivity to Sabarimala and uneven hilly terrain. With regard to the Laha estate, the government opinion was that there was only one road from the estate to Sabarimala and the terrain was not so ideal for airport.
Though the Propose estate was found to be suitable location wise and terrain wise, the extent of land was only 824.48 acre, whereas Cheruvally has 2263.19 acres and hence there was more scope for other development activities like hotels and commercial complexes apart from the airport. Cheruvally's terrain was also more ideal and close to two national highways and five public works department roads, said the government order.
