VS asks govt to file appeal in DLF case

Thiruvananthapuram: Marxist Veteran V S Achutanandan Friday said the CPI(M)-led LDF government should immediately appeal against the High Court's decision not to demolish the apartment complex of real estate major DLF, built in an "ecologically fragile" area in Kochi.

A division bench of the court had on December 21 found that there was violation of CRZ norms in constructing some portions of the complex on the banks of Chilavanoor backwaters in Kochi, but had held there was no need to demolish the same.

The bench had directed DLF to pay a fine of Rs one crore to uplift the damaged environment.

In a statement here, Achuthanandan, Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission, held that the government should go through the High Court judgement and file an appeal immediately.

Alleging that the Environment Ministry had filed an affidavit favouring those who violated environment norms, he said this was one of the factors which led to the verdict.

"If the central government is not prepared to rectify this anomaly, the state government should file an appeal," he said.

Achuthanandan alleged that the apartment complex on the banks of Vembanad lake violated CRZ norms and affected the lives of fishermen.

The construction had been undertaken after reclaiming 'wetland pokkali field' which had been classified as CRZ-I (ii) areas as it is an ecologically fragile area, he added.