The Vallakkadavu-Vayyamoola Action Council will take out a march to the Legislative Assembly on July 27 in protest against the reported move of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to shift the domestic terminal from Valiathura to the new international terminal at Chakka.
As a precursor to the Assembly march, protest meets will be held at Vayyamoola on Thursday and at Veli on Friday. Hundreds of people, mostly hotel owners, autorickshaw-taxi drivers, and their family members, took out a march from Shanghumugham on Tuesday and a held a demonstration in front of the domestic terminal.
Gururethnam Jnana Thapaswi, head of Santhigiri Ashram, in his inaugural address slammed the AAI for the move. Instead of taking steps to improve the infrastructure at the terminal, the AAI had initiated a move that would jeopardise the livelihood of hundreds of people. The international terminal would have to be expanded to accommodate domestic flights.
Acquisition issues
Land would have to be acquired for expanding the airport. Several families stood to lose their land if the domestic terminal was also shifted to the new location, he said.
Vicar-General of the Latin Archdiocese Eugene H. Pereira, who is also chairman of the action council, said when the international terminal was set up, the State government and the AAI had promised not to shift domestic flight operations. The AAI had now gone back on its assurances to please “land mafia,” he said. General convenor of the council A. Saifuddin Haji and District Congress Committee general secretary John Venatius spoke.
