Kochi’s Maradu flats demolition: Kerala to approach SC

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 17 (IANS) Following an all party meeting here on Tuesday to discuss the Supreme Court order to demolish five flats at Maradu in Kochi, the Kerala government has decided to approach the apex court again, it was announced.

The Maradu complex comprises 356 flats in five buildings and 240 families are living there. The apex court had, on September 6, ordered its demolition by September 20 for violating the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules.

The apex court had also asked the Kerala Chief Secretary to be present before the Justice Arun Mishra-headed Bench on September 23.

At the meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan explained the entire sequence of events leading up to this situation and assured that the state government will get in touch with the Attorney General to explain the case, besides employing the best legal brains to arugue the case before the court when the matter comes up again.

Speaking to the media soon after the meeting, the leader of opposition in the state, Ramesh Chennithala, said that if these flats need to be demolished then the builders should be asked to pay compensation and they should all be blacklisted.

The state CPI Secretary Kanam Rajendran pointed out at the meeting that the state government should spare no efforts in the matter, and act in the way that it had implemented the apex court's ruling on the Sabarimala temple issue with alacrity.

Even as the Maradu municipality last week served notices to flat owners to vacate the premises, the flat owners have begun a relay hunger strike and have made it clear they are not going to move out.