The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Order to give effect to Lok Adalat awards for tsunami victims State asked to honour Lok Adalat awards

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 14, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Order to give effect to Lok Adalat awards for tsunami victims State asked to honour Lok Adalat awards

Staff Reporter

Government told that it is its duty to see that tsunami funds are not diverted

Kochi: A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the State Government to give effect to all the awards passed by Special Lok Adalats for mitigating the hardships of tsunami victims in two months.

The Bench comprising Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice K.T. Sankaran, while issuing the directive, reminded the State Government that the public had contributed funds to help tsunami victims and it was the duty of the Government to see that these funds were not diverted till the amounts due to the victims were fully utilised.

The Bench also directed the Kerala Legal Services Authority (KELSA), which had organised the Lok Adalats, to make available all the awards passed by them for the relief of tsunami victims within two weeks.

The directives came on writ petitions filed by various tsunami victims against the Government's refusal to implement the Lok Adalat awards. On a directive from the High Court, the KELSA had conducted special Lok Adalats in Karunagappally, Arattupuzha, Cherthala, Harippad, and Edavanakkad.

The State Government took the stand that it could disburse the compensation awarded by the Lok Adalats only if they were passed in accordance with the norms or guidelines prescribed by the Government.

The awards which were in excess of the Government guidelines could not be implemented.

The KELSA contended that Lok Adalats were not bound by any guidelines. Awards were passed on the basis of consensus arrived between the parties.

The court made it clear that once the award had been signed by the Government officials at the Adalats, no Government approval was necessary to give effect to the award. These were binding on the Government.

Services suspended

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on Tuesday informed a Bench that the Board had suspended the service of Ecosmart India Limited for the second stage of the Sabarimala master plan preparation.

The submission was made when a petition against the award of contract for Sabarimala master plan preparation to the company came up. The Board also submitted that the interview given by one of the officials of the company had raised doubts about the integrity of the company. The officials had said that it had decided to form a company and raise funds from the international market. So, the board decided to suspend the service of the company.

The board complained that the contract had been given to the company without inviting tenders. Besides, Rs.30 lakhs had been released by the Government to the company without consulting the board. The Bench later dismissed the petition against the award of contract.

Sabari-railway line

G. Radhakrishnan, Deputy Chief Engineer of Southern Railways, informed the court that the Railways had deposited Rs.3.55 crores with the State Government for acquisition of land for the Angamali-Erumeli-Sabari Railway line.

The counter-affidavit was filed in repose to a writ petition. The State Government had earlier blamed the railways for the lack of progress in the acquisition of the land.

The petitioner sought to speed up the acquisition proceedings.

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