District Disaster Management Authority yet to take a call on beer and wine parlour

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even after a series of hearing and inspections, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has failed to take a decision on the removal of the beer and wine parlour standing over the decades-old Thekkanamkara canal.

On Monday, additional district magistrate (ADM) V. R. Vinod and sub-collector S. Karthikeyan carried out a joint inspection on the Park Rajadhani building as per the High Court order.

However, the hotelier petitioner Biju Ramesh did not turn up. Mr Karthikeyan told DC that the hearing would continue on Tuesday.

Sources said Mr Ramesh sought one more week for conducting joint inspection but the DDMA refused to grant more time. His representatives appeared for the hearing and the joint inspection.

The DDMA had issued an order to demolish the five-storey structure earlier. But the hotelier approached the HC seeking more time.

The encroachment was unearthed during Operation Anantha – the drive launched to address the recurring flooding in Thampanoor and East Fort areas.

The excavations carried out by the survey department revealed that the canal is right under the Park Rajadhani bar hotel at Fort, lying 15 ft to 20 ft underground and around 1.2 Km long.

Majority of the canal is lying safely without any encroachment except for this property owned by the controversial businessman.