Kerala - Kochi   

Rs.10 lakh sought for each bereaved family

Staff Reporter

Kochi: A Division Bench of the Kerala High court, on Friday, admitted a writ petition seeking ex gratia payment of Rs. 10 lakh each to the families of those who died in the Thattekad boat accident.

The Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice K.S. Radhakrishanan and Justice M.N. Krishnan, issued notice to the State Government and other respondents.

The petition, filed by Jibu P. Thomas, lawyer at Piravom in Ernakulam, sought a directive to the State Government and school authorities to allow school excursions only after obtaining permission from educational authorities.

The court admitted another petition seeking a directive to the Government to identify tourist spots where schoolchildren could enjoy safe excursions and formulate guidelines to be followed by the school authorities while taking children for pleasure trips.

Water scheme

Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair upheld the award of contract for constructing storage tanks for a drinking water supply scheme, funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), to IVRCL Infrastructure Projects Ltd., Kochi, and Engineering Projects India Ltd. (EPIL), a Union Government undertaking.

The tenders invited on three occasions were cancelled, as the amount quoted by the firms was high. The Kerala Water Authority later negotiated with the two firms that submitted the lowest tenders in the first tendering process and awarded the contract to them. The court said cancellation of contract one after another, calling for fresh tenders and negotiating with the lowest bidders were with the concurrence of the JBIC and an empowered committee constituted to supervise the execution of the project. The court observed that complete transparency was achieved, and the award was beyond any shadow of doubt.

Plea dismissed

The Bench dismissed a writ petition challenging the policy of the Union Government that the senior-most judge in a High Court would not be appointed Chief Justice of the same court.

Judge retires

A send-off was given at a full court reference held at the High Court to the judge K.A. Abdul Gafoor, who retired from service. Acting Chief Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan, Advocate-General C. P Sudhakara Prasad and Kerala High Court Advocates Association President M.P. Krishnan Nair spoke.

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