Thiruvananthapuram: Following 13 years of litigation over five illegal high-rises, the owners of roughly 350 apartments in Maradu in Kochi began exiting their homes ahead of the demolition of the buildings.
More families began moving their belongings out of their apartments on Monday, after what began as a trickle over the weekend when a few families hired trucks to get their belongings out.
Speaking to the media on Monday, the residents complained that they were given a few contact numbers where the district authorities had arranged for their accommodation, but none exists.
“We were shocked to be told when we contacted the numbers given to us, that there are no such flats to be given. Some of them even threatened us not to call again. If this is the response, then the October 3 deadline will have to be extended,” said angry residents.
The five buildings were found to have violated environmental rules at the time of their construction, and India’s Supreme Court ordered their demolition. The buildings were constructed in an area that fell under the Coastal Regulation Zone - III, a no-build zone.
The area was later notified to be in the Coastal Regulation Zone - II area, but the apex court ruled that they ought to be demolished because they were illegal at the time of construction.
Yet another issue that has now surfaced is that when the Maradu flats complex is demolished the neighbourhood might suffer damage. If so, they should be given adequate compensation and it should come in the form of an order from the authorities.
Following this demand, Kochi Sub-Collector S. K. Singh, appointed as special officer in charge of the demolition, will be discussing the matter with the concerned people in the second week of October. He will first finalise the tender for the demolition to one of the more than two dozen companies who have come forward to do the job.
On Monday, the apex court dismissed a petition by some flat owners that the three-member committee appointed by the court to study the building violation had not consulted the flat owners.
While the apartment owners kept suffering legal setbacks, there also arose a wave of animosity against them from various quarters. On social media, many felt that the apartment owners were using their financial muscle and contacts to legalise an illegal act. Many questioned even the decision of the state government to offer an interim compensation of Rs2.5 million (Dh130,066) each to the apartment owners.
On Monday, veteran communist leader and former state chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan criticised the move to offer alternative temporary accommodation to those moving out of the flats, pointing out that “it will create a precedence”.
“There is no obligation for the government to organise accommodation for those who have alternate accommodation. Also, there are many others awaiting rehabilitation on various other grounds, and the [Maradu] flat owners getting priority over them with better facilities will send out the wrong message,” Achuthanandan said.
The former chief minister also suggested that the compensation be provided to the apartment owners only after the government takes over the land where the buildings are situated, from them.
— With inputs from agencies
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