The management of the Lake Palace Resort in Alappuzha, owned by Transport Minister Thomas Chandy, has termed ‘arbitrary and unreasonable’ a report reportedly submitted to the government by Alappuzha District Collector T.V. Anupama on the allegations against the resort.
Letter to official
In a letter to Revenue Secretary P.H. Kurien, released to the media on Monday, the resort management said the Collector had gone into issues that were sub judice thereby attracting provisions of the Contempt of Court Act.
The Collector had not given a copy of the report to the resort management, which had furnished a detailed explanation on the three issues about which the inquiry was conducted and this amounted to violation of the principles of natural justice, the management contended.
Three issues
All the three issues taken up for inquiry by the Collector were pending consideration by the Kerala High Court in writ petition number 5503/2014 and, therefore, a separate inquiry on the part of the Collector amounted to interference in the administration of justice.
The issues related to reclamation of paddy land to create a parking lot in front of the resort, diversion of a natural water course without permission, and construction of road leading to the resort using MPLAD funds.
Media reports
From media reports, it also appeared that the Collector had gone beyond the scope of the matter of inquiry and submitted the report pertaining to several other issues such as illegal land filling at Marthandom Lake, laying of buoys near the resort for which the resort was not served with any notice. The issues relating to land filling at Marthandom Lake too was under the consideration of the Kerala High Court.
The resort management should be heard before finalisation of the report, especially on matters that were not dealt with in the memo of charges issued to the resort, the management said.
