Setback to Sabarimala Airport Project as Pala Sub-Court Dismisses State’s Claim Over Cheruvally Estate
In a significant setback to the Kerala government’s plans for the proposed Sabarimala Greenfield Airport, the Pala sub-court on Monday dismissed the state’s suit asserting ownership of the Cheruvally Estate in Erumeli.
The 2,263-acre property, identified as the site for the airport, is currently in the possession of the Ayana Charitable Trust of the Believers Eastern Church. With the court ruling going against the state, the government will now have to negotiate the purchase of the land from the Church if it intends to move forward with the project.
The verdict is not only a blow to the airport initiative but could also set a precedent with wider implications for ownership disputes involving plantation estates across Kerala.
Welcoming the judgment, Believers Church spokesperson Fr Sijo Pandapallail said the Church remains supportive of the airport project. “We welcome the court order. We continue to support the project and will cooperate with any land acquisition proceedings in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act, 2013,” he told media.
However, Fr Sijo also questioned whether the entire 2,263 acres is necessary for the airport. “The High Court has questioned this. Typically, about 1,200 acres is sufficient for an airport project. If the government acquires that much land, the Church will retain the rest. However, if the remaining is acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, the Church has limited legal recourse,” he said.
The state government is planning to challenge the sub-court order in the High Court. Advocate Saji Koduvath, representing the government, said that further details would be available once a copy of the judgment is received.
The government had filed the suit in the Pala sub-court in 2019 seeking recovery of the estate, located in Erumeli South and Manimala villages. It contended that the land was state property that had been unlawfully transferred by Harrisons Malayalam Ltd (HML) to the Ayana Charitable Trust—then known as Gospel for Asia—in 2005.
In 2015, M G Rajamanickam, a special officer appointed under the Kerala Land Conservancy Act to review plantations held on long-term lease, had declared the transaction illegal and ordered the resumption of the land. However, the High Court annulled that acquisition following a petition by HML, the previous owner.
Subsequently, acting on directions from the High Court and the Supreme Court, the Kottayam district collector approached the Pala sub-court to pursue the matter in civil court in an attempt to secure the land.
With the dismissal of the suit, the government’s claim over the Cheruvally Estate has been weakened, placing the future of the Sabarimala Greenfield Airport project squarely on negotiations with the Church—or the outcome of a fresh legal battle in higher courts.