Protest against proposed Aranmula Aiport would be intensified.

The agitation against the proposed Aranmula Aiport is all set to spread wings out of the region. The Anti-Aranmula Airport Agitation Council(AAAC) will convene meetings at all the five Assembly constituencies in the district on June 5, the World Environment Day, to spread awareness about the environmental hazards caused by the project.

The council alleged that the State Government is trying to safeguard the interests of the promoters of the project by transferring honest officials who acted as per the prevailing law of the land.

The allegation gains significance as three top revenue officials – T O Sooraj, A Abdul Samad and V N Jithendran – who took an anti-airport stand were removed from their respective posts in less than a month’s time. “The company wants exemption of many rules as most of them are against the project. The government, which is acting at the behest of the company, wants obedient officers at the pivotal seats to dance according to its tune.

No officer with integrity will act against the existing norms as he does not want to get tangled in legal matters, even after retirement,” said Kummanam Rajasekharan, one of the convenors of AAAC, of which poet writer Sugathakumari is the chairperson.

Jithendran, who had cancelled the mutation of the project area and went forward with procedures for declaring the excess land when he was the Pathanamthitta District Collector, was issued transfer order on April 11. However, he continued in the post for two more weeks and was relieved on April 29.

Abdul Samad, who took the follow-up action, had prepared reports regarding the excess land holding as the Kozhencherry Deputy Collector, but was transferred on May 20.

The Taluk Land Board of Kozhencherry had declared 132 hectares of land, originally owned by K J Abraham of Kozhencherry, as excess land and directed the Revenue officials concerned to take possession of the excess land, invoking the relevant provisions in the Kerala Land Reforms Act.

The decision of the Taluk Land Board came on the basis of an order of the State Land Board (Order No LB(B8)4257/08, dated July 3, 2012, for initiating suo motu proceedings to take over the excess land at Aranmula.

Sooraj, who issued orders which state 132 acres of the Airport project as excess land, was removed from the  post of Land Revenue commissioner on May 22.

“All the three officials were removed from their seats for their strong stand against the illegal activities of the Airport company. Abdul Samad had received the award for the best deputy collector just two weeks ago.

An impeccable officer from neighbouring Kollam district, he was transferred to Wayanad when he has only two more years in service,” said P Prasad, CPI district Secretary.