Kochi: In a victory for Devikulam Sub Collector Renu Raj, the government of Kerala was forced to file a sub petition to the High Court against its own MLA S. Rajendran for contempt of court. The Sub Collector filed the petition on behalf of the government.
The latest move by the government is considered as a last minute effort to rescue its reputation, which is on a steep down slide.
The government has also named Munnar Panchayath President Karuppa Swamy, Secretary Madhusudanan Unnithan, District Panchayath Member Vijayakumar, Munnar Panchayath contractor Chikku in addition to MLA S Rajendran, in its sub petition to the High Court.
The Kerala government was under heavy pressure to take action against its own MLA after he publically insulted Renu Raj for blocking illegal construction undertaken by the Munnar Panchayath. The HC had since then stayed the illegal construction undertaken by the panchayath.
Surprisingly, the Electricity Minister M M Mani, who hails from Idduki, also admonished the MLA.
The issue relates to illegal construction of a Rs. 1 crore illegal building on the banks of Muthirapuzha River in old Munnar. The land was given by KDH Company. The panchayath was building a Panchayth Woman Industrial Center on the land, which environmentalists say encroached on the river banks.
During the investigation by the Revenue Department it was found that the panchayath did not get NOC for the construction. Following this findings the Devikulam Sub Collector Renu Raj issued stop memo to halt the illegal construction.
S. Rajendran MLA and his supporters are claiming that panchayath needs no NOC to construct a structure on its premises.
