Aranmula Airport: AG sees red in green clearance

The state government, which is already facing the heat for the green clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests for the controversial Aranmula Airport project, has once again come under fire with the Accountant General stating that Environment Department of Kerala has taken a ''favourable stand'' to the project concealing the fact that ecological/ environmental damage has taken place.

''The audit found that while giving the recommendation to the MoEF for the green clearance, the Department instead of considering the environmental/ecological aspects, took a stand favouarable to the proposed project. The department itself admitted that ecological/environmental damage has taken place but accused the farmers for not raising these problems earlier,'' the AG said in its latest audit report. The Audit report is now circulated among the various departments for their reports.

The AG's report, which is in the possession of Express, also points out that the Environment Department had not considered the report of the Kerala Biodiversity Board on the environmental problems, which enumerated serious issues caused by the reclamation of the proposed project.

Source

The New Indian Express

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Industries Dept trespassed its jurisdiction in Aranmula Airport: AG

At a time when VS Achuthanandan is bearing the brunt for the clearance of the controversial Aranmula airport project during the LDF tenure when he was the CM, the Accountant General has put the blame on the Industries Deportment, which was then headed by Elamaram Kareem.

The Accountant General in its Audit report has found that the Industries Department had crossed the boundaries of their jurisdiction and issued “in -principle” sanction for the project without conducting necessary studies on the environmental/ecological impact and without consulting the allied departments.

In the audit report it said that the Industries department had trespassed into the jurisdiction of the Transport department. '' The Transport department of the state is the nodal department for the project of Greenfield Airport. Hence action on application for the No Objection Certificate and approval for the proposed project should have been submitted to the Transport department,'' the AG said in the Audit report that has been issued to the various departments, calling for their reports.

The AG said that the the KGS company requested for NOC in April 2010 for the construction of the Greenfield Airport at Aranmula to Additional Chief Secretary (Industries). Based on the request, the Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) issued the Government order (September 2010) giving in principle approval for the Airport.

 Moreover, the Industries department had surpassed the Committee on Environment's opinion that it was not appreciable to commence projects without conducting geographical/environmental studies and its suggestion that in-principle sanction should be given only after consulting other departments, the AG noted.

source: The New Indian Express 

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