Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President K. Sudhakaran demanded on Saturday that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan apologise to the late former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy before launching the state’s new seaplane service.
Sudhakaran’s statement comes as Kerala’s Tourism and Public Works Minister, P.A. Mohammed Riyas, prepares to inaugurate the seaplane service in Kochi on Monday, aimed at boosting tourism in the state.
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“This project, the first in the country, was mooted by Chandy. In 2013, the CPM created havoc over this project by using the fisher folk community which led the project to be called off. Now after 11 years, the same CPM is launching this project. So in all fairness, Vijayan should render an apology to Chandy and also for causing a loss of Rs 14 crore to the state exchequer as all arrangements were made then, but failed to happen,” said Sudhakaran who is also the Lok Sabha MP from Kannur.
“So another dream project of Chandy is now becoming a reality, though he passed away 18 months back. Just like the CPM opposed mega projects which the Chandy government initiated including the Vizhinjam port, Kannur airport, Kochi Metro and the Kochi Smart City, the party is now taking credit for the seaplane project too,” added Sudhakaran.
The inaugural seaplane, operated by a Switzerland-based private company in collaboration with SpiceJet, is scheduled to land at Cochin International Airport on Monday at 2 p.m.
It will then proceed to the water aerodrome at Bolgatty Palace in Kochi. Following the inaugural landing, the crew and passengers will be welcomed with a reception at the Mattupetty Dam in Idukki district.
The seaplane service, part of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) UDAN of the Centre’s Ministry of Civil Aviation, aims to improve connections between Kerala’s airports and backwaters, thus enhancing regional access and supporting the tourism sector.
The seaplane project is aimed at amplifying the connectivity of the four airports as well as the water aerodromes. The project offers a lot of prospects to Kerala’s tourism sector due to the presence of abundant water bodies.
Apart from Bolgatty and Mattupetty, the setting up of waterdromes is under consideration in Kovalam, Ashtamudi, Punnamada, Kumarakom, Vembanad, Malambuzha, and Bekal.
IANS
Published: 09 Nov 2024, 08:05 pm IST
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