Kasaragod Cricket ground gets HC relief as stay on demolition extended
Kochi, Feb 19
In a significant relief to the Kerala Cricket Association, the Kerala High Court has observed that the cricket ground constructed at Badiadka in Kasaragod serves a public purpose and that the State government must treat the issue with due seriousness. The court also ordered that the interim stay on demolition of the ground, imposed over alleged encroachment, will continue until a final decision is taken.
The Court directed the Principal Secretaries of the Local Self-Government and Revenue Departments to arrive at a final decision within four months.
The court made it clear that its interim order restraining coercive action would remain in force until the government completes this exercise.
The order came while considering a petition filed by the KCA challenging proceedings initiated on the basis of a District Collector's report that alleged encroachment on 1.09 acres of government land.
The court accepted the association's argument that the finding was not based on a scientific survey.
The High Court said the KCA may formally request the government to conduct a scientific survey of the disputed land.
If such a request is made, the competent authority must carry out a proper survey, and the government must directly examine the resulting report and sketch before taking a final view.
Addressing allegations that 40 cents of puramboke (government-owned) canal land had been encroached upon during construction, the KCA informed the court that the land was already reclaimed at the time of purchase and that no canal was evident then.
It also cited the Collector's report stating that diversion of the canal had not adversely affected water flow.
KCA Secretary Vinod S. Kumar told IANS that the ground is a functional one with pitches and practice pitches.
"Yes, this ruling has come as a relief for KCA. We are certain that things will clear up," said Kumar.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good decision by the HC. It's frustrating when projects that clearly benefit the community get stuck in red tape and allegations. A proper scientific survey is the only way to settle this.
While I'm happy for the cricket ground, the court's order raises a valid point. Why wasn't a proper survey done before construction began? Both the KCA and the local authorities should have been more diligent. Due process matters.
As someone from North Kerala, we need more facilities like this. Youngsters here are passionate about cricket but have to travel far for proper grounds. Hope this gets resolved permanently. #SaveKasaragodGround
The key point is the Collector's own report said the canal diversion didn't affect water flow. If there's no environmental or public harm, and it's serving a public purpose, the ground should stay. Common sense prevails for once!
Four months for the secretaries to decide? That's the real timeline to watch. Hope they don't sit on this file. The court has given clear directions, now the bureaucracy must act with the "due seriousness" the judge mentioned.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.