THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:Even as confusion prevails in the government over the follow-up action to be taken in the Kovalam Palace issue, Administrative Reforms Commission Chairman V S Achuthanandan has urged the government to file a civil case to retain the palace.
In a statement here, Achuthanandan said in view of the High Court and Supreme Court verdicts in this regard, the government should follow the Advocate General’s advice and go for a civil case seeking to maintain the palace under public ownership. If a decision is delayed, as under the UDF, private owners may cash in on the situation to make it favourable to them, he said.
It was in 2002 the then BJP-led Union Government sold the palace and associate facilities to a private establishment at a cheap rate, Achuthanandan said. Though he wrote to the then Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, the Centre refused to change its decision. Later, following a four-month protest by the LDF in 2004, the then UDF government took over the palace.
“At that time itself it was pointed out taking over the palace without establishing ownership over the property would help the private company. This has been proved with the High Court and Supreme Court verdicts. This even led to a scenario when no one appeared for the government,” said Achuthanandan.