Legal action against unauthorised constructions caught in quagmire

The legal action against the constructions that have come up on the banks of Chilavannoor Lake has been caught in an internal squabble of the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA). It has also resulted in delay in permitting construction and repair of houses of a large number of coastal dwellers.

Though the 67 meeting of the Authority, held on September 30, had decided to initiate legal action against 13 builders, who had constructed apartment complexes in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone guidelines, KCZMA has not taken action even after a month.

The meeting of the Authority had also resolved to take legal action against the local bodies of Kochi and Maradu that have given the ‘go-ahead’ for the constructions in the CRZ area of the water body.

Though the meeting had cleared a large number of applications for the construction of housing units by fishermen and coastal communities, permission could not be granted due to the non-approval of minutes of the meeting.

Several applications of beneficiaries of Indira Avas Yojana and permissions for repair and renovation of dwelling units of fishermen were cleared by the Authority, sources said.

It was the reported difference of opinion between the two senior functionaries of the Authority regarding the approval of minutes of an earlier meeting that has resulted in the delay in initiating legal action against the violators of law.

While V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, chairman of the Authority said that he had signed the minutes of the latest meeting on October 28, K.K. Ramachandran, the member secretary of the Authority, maintained that he had not received the minutes signed by the chairman.

Mr. Ramachandran said that his office has not received the approved minutes till October 30. Legal action cannot be issued without obtaining the minutes approved by the chairman, he said.

Incidentally, a recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had highlighted the CRZ violations by the builders and individuals. A subcommittee appointed by the Authority had also reported that blatant violation of CRZ norms.