Kochi: The Supreme Court on Monday gave no respite to the state in the Maradu apartments’ case and posted it to Friday for detailed order.
The bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra reprimanded the state government for its failure in implementing its order passed on May 8 to demolish the five apartment buildings constructed in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone rules.
It rejected a three-month time sought by the state to implement the verdict and asked the state “to put on record as what course of action they propose against all such existing violators and how many such constructions exist at present in the state of Kerala which are in violation of the notification issued by the Coastal Regulation Zone Authority.”
The court stated, “the contents of the affidavit is wholly unsatisfactory and it is apparent that no concrete plan has been carved to undertake the demolition. The same reflects the intend not to comply with the order passed by this court in its true spirit,” it said.
The judge criticised Chief Secretary Tom Jose and asked him a series of questions, including whether the state government was conniving with the violation of law.
Stating that the attitude of the government amounts to ‘criminal negligence,’ the court asked “what is the officialdom doing in the state and whether they are aware of the floods in Kerala?”
The court also asked whether the state was aware of the number of people dying in natural calamities.
The court asked the chief secretary how much time was needed to demolish the flats. Describing the attitude of the state government as shocking, Justice Mishra also blunted the demand for humanitarian consideration of the flat owners by observing that the court was “trying to save the 343 families residing in the apartments. If this is your attitude, the situation will be grave. Even three months after the order nothing has been done,” it said.
The bench had set September 20 as the deadline for implementing the verdict in an order on September 6. A curative petition seeking a review of the May 8 order is still pending before the court.
