KOCHI: In yet another jolt to the Maradu flat residents who are facing eviction following the Supreme Court verdict, Chief Secretary Tom Jose held an emergency review meeting and sent a letter to the agencies concerned to disconnect electricity and water supply to the four high-rise apartment complexes.
The meeting, convened in Thiruvananthapuram, has also given Fort Kochi Sub-Collector Snehil Kumar Singh the additional charge of Maradu municipality secretary to carry out demolition of the apartments. An order in this regard has been issued by state government’s joint secretary Rajesh Kumar M.
Maradu municipality’s present secretary Muhammed Arif Khan said: “The chief secretary convened the emergency meeting to discuss further actions to demolish the apartments. As per the decisions, I’ve issued letters to both the Kerala State Electricity Board and Kerala Water Authority to disconnect electricity and water connections with immediate effect. However, I’m yet to receive official order from the government.”
The Maradu municipality officials have clarified they would no longer be part of the demolition process. “As the government has given the responsibility to the sub-collector, the Maradu municipality won’t have any role in the demolition hereafter,” said Vice-Chairman Boban Nedumparambil.
Clarion call
The High Court obser-ved the SC order to demolish Maradu flats was a clarion call, reminding builders not to violate CRZ norms
Builders construct buildings in coastal zones as they please and then approach the authorities and get them regularised, Justice Devan Ramachandran observed