Bekal to have airstrip for 50-seater craft: Kodiyeri

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government has decided to construct an airstrip that can receive 50-seater aircraft at Bekal as part of efforts to develop the area into a planned tourist destination, Home and Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told the Assembly on Friday.

Replying to a submission by K. V. Kunhiraman (CPI-M), he said the proposed airstrip would be located at Kariyamkundu in Periya village of Kasaragod district. The Revenue authorities had surveyed the land and steps for land acquisition would be initiated after the Cabinet takes a final decision in the matter.

Mr. Balakrishnan said the government had convened a meeting of all stakeholders on May 25 to discuss the issue in view of the difficulty in ferrying tourists to Bakel, which was fast developing into an international tourist destination. The meeting had decided to construct the airstrip so that larger aircraft could land near Bekal. The project was proposed to be implemented with the support of the State-run Rajiv Gandhi Academy for Aviation Technology. The Minister said several hotel projects were in advanced stages of implementation.