Pathanamthitta: The Aranmula Heritage Village Action Council (AHVAC) has accused Defence Minister A. K. Antony of “putting national security at stake” by taking “undue initiative” at the instance of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P. J. Kurien, and Anto Antony, MP, for facilitating a ‘no objection certificate' to a private company for setting up an airport at Aranmula.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, P. Induchoodan, K.Haridas and P.R. Shaji, action council leaders, alleged that the decision to grant NOC for the controversial project was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the Defence Minister on August 12, 2011.
The council leaders also distributed the copies of all relevant official documents obtained through the Right To Information Act in support of their arguments. A letter issued by the Directorate of Naval Air Staff and signed by D. S. Shekhawat, Commodore, PDNAS, dated October 8, 2010, categorically stated that “the establishment of a Greenfield Airport at Aranmula was not recommended by the Ministry of Defence, as this would have resulted in imposing severe restrictions on the availability of airspace for conduct of military flying at the Naval Air Station, INS Garuda, in Kochi.”
03/04/14 The Hindu
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Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, P. Induchoodan, K.Haridas and P.R. Shaji, action council leaders, alleged that the decision to grant NOC for the controversial project was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the Defence Minister on August 12, 2011.
The council leaders also distributed the copies of all relevant official documents obtained through the Right To Information Act in support of their arguments. A letter issued by the Directorate of Naval Air Staff and signed by D. S. Shekhawat, Commodore, PDNAS, dated October 8, 2010, categorically stated that “the establishment of a Greenfield Airport at Aranmula was not recommended by the Ministry of Defence, as this would have resulted in imposing severe restrictions on the availability of airspace for conduct of military flying at the Naval Air Station, INS Garuda, in Kochi.”
03/04/14 The Hindu
