The Hindu : Kerala News : `Court verdict on Coke row disappointing'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 10, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

`Court verdict on Coke row disappointing'

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 9. The Leader of the Opposition, V. S. Achuthanandan, has termed `disappointing' the Kerala High Court decision to equate the water rights of the poor people of Plachimada and the Hindustan Coca-Cola Company and allow the latter to draw water for its operations.

In a statement here today, Mr. Achuthanandan pointed out that implementation of the High Court verdict would lead to drying up of the water sources in Perumatty panchayat. "It is unfortunate for courts, which are duty-bound to interpret laws in ways that are beneficial to society at large and the people in particular, to forget the same and interpret laws in favour of monopolies and commercial interests," the Opposition Leader said.

"What ordinary people, Adivasis, environment activists and youth organisations at Plachimada should do is to go beyond such verdicts and intensify their ongoing agitations," he said.

Mr. Achuthanandan came down heavily on the Government for what he termed its ``collusion'' with the M Far Group in favour of which the High Court had pronounced its judgment in the Halcyon Castle row.

The Government should have taken over the castle and handed it over to the Archaeology Department. Had this been done, the Court would not have decided ``in favour of'' the hotel group which had bought the Ashok Hotel complex for a paltry Rs. 44 crores.

Ownership

The attempt of Ministers and bureaucrats was to create the impression that there was a dispute over ownership of the castle forming part of the hotel complex, he said. Mr. Achuthanandan urged the Government not to give up its efforts to secure possession of the castle. Since the Court has made it clear that there was no bar on the Government adopting legal measures to secure possession of the castle, it should immediately go in appeal against the High Court verdict, he said.

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