Thursday, Aug 19, 2004
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Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Kerala
By Our Staff Reporter
KOCHI, AUG. 18. A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court today directed the Chief Secretary to appear in person before it on September 7 for his failure to file an affidavit explaining the outcome of the inquiry being conducted into the allegations of financial irregularities levelled against K.S. Vijayan, former Director of the Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology (Anert). The Bench comprising the Chief Justice, N.K. Sodhi, and Justice P.R. Raman also imposed Rs.5,000 as cost on the Chief Secretary for his failure to file the counter-affidavit on time. The court asked him to deposit the amount with the Kerala Legal Services Authority. The court had in January directed the Chief Secretary to file an affidavit regarding the outcome of the probe ordered against Mr. Vijayan. The Government pleader had then told the court that an inquiry was ordered on the basis of the directives of the Assembly Assurance Committee. The court had then granted the Government two weeks' time to file the counter-affidavit. When the petition came up before the court today, it was found that no affidavit had been filed by the Chief Secretary despite the undertaking.
Sandalwood import
The Government assured the Bench that it would take a final decision within a month on the report of the Chief Conservator of Forests (Vigilance) who inquired into the allegation regarding the import of sandalwood from Tanzania. The assurance was given when a writ petition filed by the organisation, One Earth-One Life, seeking a CBI probe into the allegation came up. It was alleged that that imported Tanzanian wood, which could not yield sandal oil, was being used by the private sandal oil factories in the State to account for the sandal oil produced by them from real sandalwood smuggled from the Marayur region in Idukki district.
Strong-room theft
As for the CBI investigation into the Olavakode strong-room theft case, it was pointed out that even though the State Government had issued a notification handing over the case to the CBI, the Central Government was yet to issue a notification in this regard. The Senior Central Government Standing Counsel submitted that he would ascertain the facts and inform the court about the matter. The case had been adjourned to the first week of October.
Pancharakolli case
The Bench disposed of a case relating to the illegal felling of the tress from the Pancharakolli forestland in Wayanad on the basis of the submission made by the Government that disciplinary action was being taken against the delinquent forest and revenue officials. The case was initiated suo motu by the court on the basis of a letter. When the petition came up before the Bench, Mohan C. Menon, Senior Government Pleader, submitted that proceedings had been initiated against two DFOs and two foresters. He submitted that the officers who faced the departmental action had sought further time to file a reply to the show cause notices issued to them. The court then asked him to ensure that the disciplinary proceeding would be completed before November 30.
Kovalam resort
The Bench comprising Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice J.M. James closed a petition filed by Kovalam Hotels Limited seeking a direction to the Superintendent of Police, Thiruvananthapuram City and Circle Inspector of Police, Thiruvananthapuram to prevent unauthorised entry of people into the Kovalam Ashoka Beach Resorts in the light of the submission that steps were being taken to maintain law and order in the area. The petitions seeking to implead M. Vijayakumar, former Speaker; A. Neelalohithadasan Nadar, former Minister (patrons of Kovalam Kottaram Samrakshana Samithy); K. Sudhakaran, Baratiya Janata Youva Morcha district president, and others in the case were dismissed.
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