The Kerala High Court on Monday restrained the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority from acting on the findings of an inquiry conducted by a three-member expert committee constituted to probe the alleged violation of Coastal Regulation Zone norms by the real estate company DLF when it constructed an apartment complex at Chilavanoor.
Justice A.Muhamed Mustaque issued the interim order on a writ petition filed by DLF Universal Limited challenging the constitution of the committee. The court ordered that the Coastal Zone Management Authority should not act on the findings of the committee till it obtained an order from the court.
The court, however, allowed the committee to inspect the site. According to the company, the Chief Secretary had no power to direct the Coastal Zone Management Authority to appoint a committee to study CRZ violation. The petitioner contended the CRZ clearance was granted by the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority after due scrutiny and referred to MoEF as well as State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). The SEIAA issued the project integrated Environment cum CRZ clearance after due examination.
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It said the procedure initiated by the SEIAA had been flouted. If the government was aggrieved by the order, it could have approached the National Green Tribunal through an appeal. The order appointing the committee was illegal.