The Kerala High Court refused to interfere in the State government directive to the Kottayam District Collector to begin the proceedings to acquire the Cheruvally Estate for the Sabarimala greenfield airport.
At the same time, the court stayed the government directive to the District Collector to deposit the compensation for acquiring the land in a court as mandated by the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
It was on a petition moved by Ayana Charitable Trust that the Single Judge of the Kerala High Court issued the order.
The State government had identified the 2263.13 acres for an airport, which was earlier in the possession of Harrisons Malayalam Plantation. Earlier, the attempts of the State government to take over the holding was stayed by the High Court and the Supreme Court.
Pronouncing the order on Friday, the Single Judge noted that the government was bound to conduct an investigation into the social impact of the acquisition of the land. The social impact study included an assessment related to the public purpose of the proposed acquisition, the order said.
An expert group has to give an opinion to the State government whether the project would serve the pubic purpose or not. Thereafter, the government should examine the expert opinion to arrive at a final decision as to the bona fide public purpose for the project. It was only after completing these steps that the government was empowered to issue publication of the primary notification for the acquisition, the court noted.
Church offers support
Staff Reporter writes from Kottayam: Responding to the High Court order, the Believer’s Eastern Church said that it was never against the State government and offered its support to any development project on the property.
According to Fr. Sijo Panthappallil, official spokesperson of the church, the church approached the High Court as the State government had intended to take over the property without acknowledging its ownership rights on the land. “Now that the matter is settled, the government may approach us through proper channel seeking to take over the property,” he said.
