The Kerala government expects to complete the Sabarimala airport project in a time-bound manner once all clearances from the Centre are through. The Centre has already given site clearance and defence clearance, while Kerala’s application for security clearance from the Home Ministry is still awaited, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the Kerala Assembly on February 1 (Thursday).
He was replying to a calling attention motion by K.U. Janeeshkumar on the need for expediting the Sabarimala airport project.
Mr. Vijayan said Kerala has prepared an environment impact assessment report and that the procedures for submitting it for the approval of the Union Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change are on.
The Centre for Management Development in Thiruvananthapuram has prepared the final social impact assessment report and a seven-member committee which studied the report has submitted its recommendations. As per the committee’s recommendations, steps for acquiring approximately 2,570 acres of land for the airport have been set in motion, said Mr. Vijayan.
He said all steps for forming a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the Sabarimala airport and selecting a suitable agency for preparing a detailed project report have also been initiated.
