Pay Rs 25L interim compensation to Maradu flat owners: SC to govt

NEW DELHI/KOCHI: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the state government to pay an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to each of the flat owners in four apartment complexes at Maradu it ordered to be demolished for violating the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms.
The bench of Justices Arun Mishra and S Ravindra Bhat allowed the government to recover the amount from builders who erected these complexes violating norms. The interim compensation is to be paid within four weeks.
During the hearing, the court said it did not want residents of the apartment complexes to be left in dire straits but its primary concern is illegal constructions in CRZ areas and the subsequent natural disasters. The flats have to be demolished and if the state government cannot do it, some other agency can be entrusted with the task and the government will have to bear the cost, it said.
The court also said it would appoint a three-member committee of former high court judges to determine the balance of compensation to be paid to flat owners and oversee the demolition. The committee will fix the responsibility of builders as well as officials who aided the illegal constructions. The government can suggest names to the committee, it said. It also restrained the builders and its directors from alienating their assets.
A directive regarding interim compensation was issued by the court after it asked the government to start the demolition process as per the plan submitted by it before the court.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, representing the state chief secretary, submitted that an affidavit has been filed in which the government has undertaken that the demolition process will start on October 9 and will be completed in 90 days. Electricity and water connections to the flat have already been severed, the court was told.
The state government had initiated the procedure for demolishing the flats after the apex court pulled up the chief secretary on Monday for failing to implement its order. The court initiated suo motu action against the chief secretary after noticing that its order had not been implemented in the prescribed time limit.
The four apartment complexes, comprising over 350 flats, house over 240 families. Further hearing in the case has been scheduled on October 25.
^[1][2][3]

References

1. ^{^} Maradu (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
2. ^{^} dire straits (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
3. ^{^} Harish Salve (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

from India News | Latest News Headlines & Live Updates from India - Times of India https://ift.tt/2mto43s