In what could be a breather for the embattled owners of the four flats constructed illegally in Kochi's Maradu region, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the Kerala government to disburse interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to each owner within four weeks. The amount will be recovered from the builders, the court added. "The remainder of the compensation amount may be decided by a committee that can be set up to valuate compensation amount," the bench of Justices Arun Mishra and S. Ravindra Bhatt added.
"Our primary concern is illegal construction in coastal zone and disasters. We also want compensation to be given to flat owners. They should also have shelter," Bar and Bench cited Justice Mishra as saying.
It also proposed setting up a committee to evaluate the compensation amount, said the apex court after the Kerala government submitted its action plan on Friday. Kerala government will propose the names of retired judges for the committee to oversee the demolition process and for valuation of compensation, the court order stated. The next hearing in the matter will be on October 25.
The Supreme Court stated that the demolition of the flats would start and be concluded within the time frame of 120 days as submitted by the Kerala government in its action plan on Friday.
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Appearing for the Kerala government, senior counsel Harish Salve informed the court that the demolition process will take 90 days and another 30 days for removal of the debris. "A third-party agency will be hired by the state for the demolition process," the counsel assured the court.
Acting on the complaints of flat owners, police have registered FIRs against three builders, who constructed apartments in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone rules.
Police have also frozen around 60 bank accounts of the three builders who constructed the apartment complexes violating CRZ rules in Maradu municipal area. The police action against the builders came in tune with the Kerala governments steps to demolish four apartment complexes built in violation of CRZ norms, days after being pulled up the top court for not complying with its order to raze the buildings.
