The state Land Board has put a spoke into the Aranmula international airport project that was all set to take off following the recent environmental clearance it got from the Centre.
The land board initiated proceedings to take over the entire project area of 232 acres, claiming it was “excess land” under the land reforms act.
The board has served notice on former land owner, Abraham Kalamannil on the ground that he was in possession of land in excess of the 15 acres he was entitled to under the Land Reforms Act.
Abraham, who is the chairman of Kozhencherry Educational and Charitable Trust, had sold the land to KGS Group, promoters of the Aranmula Airport project.
The LDF government had also converted the land into an industrial area to keep the project area out of the ambit of the land reforms act.
How this issue has been raised now, not so far, is unclear.
The land reforms act was passed decades ago, and land ownership records are with the government.
However, Pathanamthitta district land board chairman Abdul Samad claims the board had initiated the proceedings when Abraham was still the owner and long before it was converted into industrial land.
“The KGS Group should not have purchased the landrom Abraham. We have no choice but to take over the land,” he said.
The notice served on Abraham on September 20 says 326.18 acres will be taken over from him under the land reforms act. The airport project area of 232 acres falls within this.
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