Kodiyeri, Premachandran rue nod for Aranmula Airport

Whether it is a brilliant political move or not, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that he felt guilty for being part of the government that took the decision to give in-principle approval to the Aranmula Airport.

He expressed regret at a day-long ‘satyagraha’, attended by several cultural and political leaders, which was initiated by poet Sugathakumari in front of the Martyrs Column at Palayam here on Tuesday.

“People should rally behind this movement to save whatever is left of the wetlands and paddy fields,’’ said Kodiyeri, as he signed a massive petition to which a group of cultural and political leaders, including the then Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, are signatories. The massive petition is to be sent to the Prime Minister.

Former Water Resources Minister N K Premachandran disclosed that the company behind the Aranmula airport had sought exemptions on six laws related to land and environment protection. “A fault is a fault and we feel regret and guilt,’’ said Premachandran.

 While the leaders of the Left Front, including former Forest Minister Benoy Viswam, expressed guilt in different measures, V M Sudheeran, BJP state president V Muraleedharan and V D Satheesan were not impressed and asked the State Government to do a rethink and withdraw from the position it has taken on the airport issue.

 Benoy Viswam said he was always labelled as an anti-development person that often lands him in difficult situations.

O Rajagopal, who spent quite some time at the ‘satyagraha’, asked the government not to impose airports on the people in the name of development.