The High Court on Friday admitted a petition seeking a Vigilance inquiry into the government’s decision to purchase 10 per cent shares of the proposed private Aranmula airport in Pathanamthitta district. A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice K Vinod Chandran, also issued a notice to the state government. The order was issued on a petition by Prasad, CPI Pathnamthitta district council secretary. The petitioner submitted that if 10,000 shares are held by the government, the promoters of the airport would get exemption from the provisions of the Kerala Land Reforms Act. This would favour the promoters, he alleged. The KGS Aranmula International Airport Ltd is developing the first private international greenfield airport in the country at a cost of `2,000 crore on a 700-acre land.
