KASARAGOD: The Civil Aviation Ministry has given preliminary approval to the Bekal Airstrip project in Periya under its UDAN scheme, said Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan. The state government sent feasibility reports of Bekal, Wayanad, and Idukki airstrip projects to the ministry in August, he said. “But only Bekal project has got approval under the UDAN 4 scheme,” he told TNIE on Thursday.
The airstrip would come upon 80 acres of land at Kanniyamkundu, 7km from Periya. Of the 80 acres, 28 acres was with the government, he said. The rest of the 52 acres has 11 houses and is with private individuals. “The private parties have agreed to sell the land to the government for the project,” said district panchayat president A G C Basheer, who relentlessly pursued the project.
The minister said the government would acquire the land for the project and the Airports Authority of India would develop the infrastructure under UDAN. This is the fourth round of approval under UDAN, started in 2016 to improve air connectivity and make air travel affordable. In the first three rounds, the ministry awarded around 700 routes.
Bekal to be developed as a feeder airport
The AAI would develop the infrastructure and the government planned to promote short-haul routes. Bekal airstrip would be the first such project in Kerala. The state government intends to make the airstrip as feeder posts for the international airports in the state, said Transport secretary K R Jyothilal in his letter to the Civil Aviation Ministry in August.
Captain K N G Nair, chairman and managing director of Thumby Aviation Private Limited, said a one-km-long runway could be built at Periya, allowing a 15-seater aircraft to land. Thumby prepared the feasibility report. Basheer said private individuals were ready to invest in the project.“Once te airstrip is realised, it will give a big boost to tourism as well as easy connectivity to the business class of the district,” he said.