Kerala   

Court order to convene special grama sabha

Staff Reporter

Eloor grama panchayat told to pass appropriate orders on licence to Merchem

Kochi : The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the Eloor grama panchayat to consider and pass appropriate orders on a representation seeking to convene a special grama sabha before issuing licence to Merchem Ltd. The directive was passed by Justice S. Siri Jagan on a petition filed by M.K. Kunjappan of Eloor. According to him, the petitioners and others had been agitating against pollution caused by the company in 1998. He said that on a request, the panchayat had appointed Dr. N. Chandra Mohan, a scientist at the Cochin University of Science and Technology to study the pollution caused by the company.

The scientist had reported that the factory had not taken steps to check pollution. The panchayat had, later, cancelled the licence on the basis of the report. Though the company had taken up the issue with the High Court, the panchayat's order was upheld. The petitioner now understood that there were moves to grant licence to the factory on extraneous considerations.

The petitioner alleged that the functioning of the factory would affect the health of the residents. The panchayat had not taken a decision on the representation to convene a special meeting of the grama sabha to discuss the issue of grating licence to Merchem.

The petitioner contended that as per Section 3(3) of the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, a special meeting of the grama sabha would be convened if a panchayat received a representation signed by not less than 10 per cent of the members. The petitioner feared that the panchayat was likely to grant licence to the company without convening the grama sabha.

Passing the direction, the court observed that since the Kerala Panchayat Raj provided for convening of the grama sabha, it was only appropriate that the panchayat consider the representation and pass appropriate orders on it expeditiously.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Steps urged to check illegal construction in Munnar
Excess vessels to be diverted for deep-sea fishing
Take steps to check land grab
Aggrieved students check out of two nursing colleges
Bloodstains found on weapons seized from Cherukol
Focus on development, says GCDA chairperson
CD ratio touches record high in State
KSBC suspends six employees
Court order to convene special grama sabha
Ayurveda doctors seek pay parity
Excess vessels for deep-sea fishing
The joy of poetry
In Malappuram Today
Save the earth
Support price: KC(J) plans stir
Soaring pride
Workers' protest
Around the City

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu