The Hindu : Kerala News : Contempt petition closed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 27, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Contempt petition closed

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, MAY 26. The Kerala High Court today closed a contempt petition filed against the former High Court Judge and president of the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, T. M. Hassan Pillai, and Dharam Veer, secretary, Food and Civil Supplies, Thiruvananthapuram.

The contempt petition filed by A. Ayyappan Nair, general secretary, Confederation of Consumer Vigilance Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, was closed by Justice C. M. Ramachandran Nair after the counsel for the petitioner submitted that he wanted to file a review petition for an earlier order. The State Government and Mr. Pillai had earlier given an assurance before the Court that the Commission would function strictly in accordance with the statutes, in response to an earlier contempt petition.

The present allegations against Mr. Pillai included not reporting the available vacancies of members in the Commission and of the District Forum presidents and granting holiday for the Commission from April 12, to May 13, 2004, which were against the statutes, according to the petitioner.

Bridge repair

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court today closed a petition seeking the reconstruction of the Murinjapuzha Bridge near Vaikom and the prohibition of vehicular traffic over the bridge till the repair work was over, on the basis of an affidavit filed by the PWD Chief Engineer (Roads and Bridges), K. Joseph Mathew.

The Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice N.K. Sodhi and Justice P. R. Raman was responding to a petition filed by C.N. Nasser, an Ernakulam-based lawyer. The affidavit stated that administrative and technical sanction for reconstruction work of the bridge to an estimated amount of Rs. 87.25 lakhs had been received. All precautionary measures including the installation of police pickets and barricades near the bridge have been taken, it was pointed out in the affidavit.

The affidavit further stated that there might be a chance of delay in the execution of the reconstruction work due to the heavy monsoon till August, 2004. The affidavit also pointed out that the PWD had already conducted an investigation of the bridge by the LBS Centre for Science and Technology.

Public meetings

The Kerala High Court today directed the Muvattupuzha Municipality to ensure that unauthorised meetings are not organised on footpaths or on the roadside.

Responding to a petition filed by A.M. Salam, a merchant near Nehru Park in Muvattupuzha complaining that the putting up of temporary structures for holding public meetings in front of his shopping complex was causing traffic blocks, Justice M. Ramachandran directed the Municipality to ensure that the meetings should be held only in places earmarked for the purpose.

He directed that the party affiliations of the municipal councillors should not distract them from discharging their duties as representatives of the public.

He also directed the municipality to take appropriate action against any violation of the curbs by prosecuting the offenders.

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