THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
Veteran CPI (M) leader and Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission chairman V.S. Achuthanandan has urged the LDF government to file civil case immediately to retain the Halycon Castle in the famed beach resort of Kovalam in the government sector.
As the High Court and the Supreme Court has given the judgement that the takeover of the imposing Halycon Castle and handing it to the MFar group in
2002 as part of disinvestment of the ITDC shares, Mr. Achuthanandan said the government should seek the legal opinion of the Advocate General and file civil case to retain the palace and surroundings in the public sector.
The veteran CPI(M) leader said any delay on the part of the governemnt to file the civil case as done by the previous UDF regime will only help the private group that runs the sprawling property adjacent to the Halycon Castle. In a statement here, Mr. Achuthanandan said he had petitioned the then Prime Minister, A. B. Vajpayee against the move to give the palace and the adjoining property to the private group at a throw away price.
The former Chief Minister said he had personally visited the site following the reports that the private group was grabbing government land. It was after four months struggle that the then UDF regime took over the palace from the private group, he pointed out.
EOM/ARK
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