NEW DELHI/PATHANAMTHITTA: The fate of the controversial Aranmula airport project appears to have been sealed with the the Defence Ministry cancelling the approval for the project.
The order of the Defence Ministry was handed over to the Civil Aviation Ministry by Director, Navy (I), Naveen Kumar, for further action.
The cancellation was based on the findings of the Environment Ministry, National Green Tribunal and finally the Supreme Court which upheld the order of NGT.
The Defence Ministry’s letter noted that the view of the KGS Group, the promoters of the airport project, was given due consideration before pronouncing the order cancelling the approvals.
An airport project needs three crucial clearances: that of the Ministries of Environment, Defence and Civil Aviation. Addressing a news conference at Aranmula on Friday evening, Kummanam Rajasekharan, who spearheads the agitation against the airport project under the banner of Aranmula Paithrukagrama Action Council, said with the cancellation of all the three approvals, the Aranmula airport project has ceased to exist
The Defence Ministry cancelled the approval, following the cancellation of various approvals connected with environment aspects, he said.