Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has given his firm assurance that the land acquisition necessary for extending the Kannur International Airport’s runway to a full 4,000 meters will be expedited. This commitment came after CPI(M) leaders presented a petition on Thursday, October 2, 2025.
Currently, the process of acquiring 245.32 acres across Keezhalur and Kanad is actively in progress. The valuation of agricultural land, trees, and existing buildings is nearly complete. An initial notification (11(1)) for this acquisition was issued on October 22, 2018, and officials confirm that a subsequent notification (19(1)) will be released promptly once the compensation funds are deposited into the Collector’s account.
The Chief Minister further informed the party leaders that the state government is actively arranging and securing all required funds to ensure a swift and smooth completion of the acquisition procedures.
Both the Landowners Action Committee and local MLA K.K. Shailaja had formally requested that the generous rehabilitation package, initially offered during the 2008 land acquisition, be extended to the current phase. This request was made despite changes in land acquisition laws that occurred in 2013.
Mr. Vijayan stated that this specific demand would be thoroughly examined, and a decision on its extension would be made very soon. Concurrently, steps are being taken to finalize the detailed valuation statement for the affected properties.
Key figures present during the submission of the petition included Assembly Speaker A.N. Shamseer, CPI(M) district secretary K. K. Ragesh, district committee member N. V. Chandrababu, area secretary M. Ratheesh, local secretary P. K. Chandran, P. C. Vinodhan, and K. P. Riju.