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No more chaotic delays at Karipur, says Antony

MALAPPURAM: Defence Minister A.K. Antony has assured that no expatriate Keralite will, from now, lose his or her job in the Gulf owing to cancellation or delay of flights from Calicut International Airport at Karipur.

The Centre has taken the matter very seriously and given instructions to the agencies concerned not to allow recurrence of such ‘chaotic delays’ as witnessed at Karipur on October 20, he said. Mr. Antony was addressing the media after a meeting with Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State president Sayed Mohammedali Shihab Thangal at the latter’s Kodappanakkal House at Panakkad near here on Monday. Mr. Antony said he and his colleagues, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Union Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed had raised the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on finding that the Ministry of Civil Aviation was ‘going slow’ on the matter.

The Defence Minister said that introduction of foreign airlines from Karipur was the best way out to bring an end to the woes of Malabar’s passengers.

Mr. Antony said that the Congress high command would decide on the re-entry of veteran politician K. Karunakaran into the Congress-fold.

Mr. Thangal also said that it was for the high command to decide whether or not to re-admit Mr. Karunakaran.

Mr. Thangal called for setting up of joint fronts in other States on the model of Kerala’s United Democratic Front (UDF). IUML State general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty also took part in the discussion, which lasted for half an hour.

Apart from politics, Mr. Antony and the IUML leaders discussed some matters of local issue including Karipur.

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