KOCHI: A government that came to power on the promise ‘Everything will be set right’ should show the ‘political will’ to proceed with the eviction drive in Munnar and official vigour to implement it, the Kerala High Court has held. While dismissing a petition challenging the order to take over Love Dale resort and 22 cents of land in Munnar, issued by the then Devikulam Sub-Collector Sriram Venkitaraman, the High Court observed, “What is required is the political will to proceed and the official vigour to implement it. If either is dampened it is the public that will be compromised.”
The court asked, “Is it too much for the citizenry to expect from a government which came to power with the simple pledge that ‘Everything will be set right’, to act, positively and effectively?”
There was no dearth of legal precedents of the SC and the HC to trigger the government into action to take back what is due to the people and to put it to public benefit, said the court.
According to the state, it was a temporary grant of government land for temporary occupation for three years and also prohibits transfer to any other person. The sub-collector had found the land in question was ‘puramboke’ as defined under Section IV of the Conservancy Act and was a property reserved by the government for public purpose and, hence, not assignable. The petitioner is running a homestay in the building in the property, which definitely is not the purpose intended by the original grant.