The Kerala High Court, on Thursday, restrained the self-financing engineering college managements which had entered into an agreement with the State government on admissions from filling up the vacant merit seats in B.Tech. courses after Friday, treating these as management seats.
Justice V. Giri ordered that they shall be filled up only after getting orders from the court.
The court passed the orders on a writ petition filed by Santhi and another petitioner seeking a direction to the government to make allotment to the seats in the newly started self-financing engineering colleges. They pleaded that the allotment to the merit quota should not be closed on Friday as applicants would lose the opportunity of exercising their options for admission to new colleges.
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The court noted that the as per the agreements signed between the government and the 42 self-financing engineering colleges, the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations was disabled from making any allotment to the merit quota after Friday. As a result, the vacant seats in the merit quota could be treated as management seats and the management would be able to fill those seats.
Golf Club case
Justice S. Satheeshachandran directed the government to give the Trivandrum Golf Club authorities an opportunity to explain why their property should not be taken over. The court granted the government a month’s time to issue a show-cause notice to them. The court ordered that the government should pass orders within three months. The court declined to grant status quo with respect to the possession of the club until the disposal of a suit filed by six members against the government decision to take over the property.
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The court passed the directive while disposing of a writ petition challenging the Thiruvananthapuram District Court verdict vacating a sub-court’s order restraining the government from taking over the property. The petition was filed by six members, including Balachandra Menon and Suresh Gopi, actors.
The court set aside the observation of the district court that the Principal Secretary, Revenue, and the Deputy Secretary, Revenue, should avoid hearing the club authorities on the notice issued to them. The court said that it was for the government to decide who should do the administrative functions. It was unfair on the part of the district court to make such a suggestion.
Rate hike
A Bench comprising Justice P.R. Raman and Justice P. Bhavandasan allowed the Travancore Devaswom Board to increase the rate of various Vazhipadus in Sabariamala.