State to challenge verdict in eviction case

HC ordered it to pay provisional compensation of Rs.10 lakh to Cloud9 Resorts

July 29, 2014 10:51 pm | Updated 10:51 pm IST - KOCHI:

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, flanked by Forest Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash, holds a discussion at Kochi on Tuesday. Photo : Thulasi Kakkat

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, flanked by Forest Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash, holds a discussion at Kochi on Tuesday. Photo : Thulasi Kakkat

The State government will challenge the High Court’s verdict asking it to pay a provisional compensation of Rs.10 lakh in a Munnar eviction case, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said.

The government will decide on whether to file a review petition or go in for appeal after obtaining a copy of the verdict, Mr. Chandy said, after a discussion with his Cabinet colleagues Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and Adoor Prakash and Advocate-General K.P. Dandapani on the case in Kochi on Tuesday.

A Division Bench of the court had directed the State government last week to pay a provisional compensation of Rs.10 lakh to Cloud9 Resorts, whose 11 buildings at Chinnakkanal were demolished during the Munnar eviction drive of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in 2007.

No special squad

The Idukki District Collector was directed to speed up the anti-encroachment drive in Idukki. Steps for vacating the stay or other legal impediments in cases related to encroachments would be taken. However, there would not be any special squad or dispensation for the drive, and no time frame had been fixed, Mr. Chandy said.

The meeting was attended by V. Gopinath, Chief of Forest Force; Law Secretary C.P. Ramaraja Prema Prasad; Idukki Collector Ajit B. Patil; and Special Government pleaders Susheela R. Bhatt and P.K. Soyuz.

The Chief Minister said there was no lacuna on the part of the government in conducting court cases related to encroachments. The United Democratic Front government had been continuously winning court cases, whereas the previous LDF government had lost a number of them, he said.

Mr. Chandy refused to comment on the statement of Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan that he would go in appeal against the High Court verdict. Chief Justice Manjula Chellur displayed her commitment by pronouncing the judgment in the case which she had reserved for orders before moving out of the High Court, Mr. Chandy said, referring to Mr. Achuthanandan’s criticism of the timing of the court order.

“Though the court order is against the government, I am not ready to criticise the judge who pronounced the judgment,” Mr. Chandy said.

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