5 months ago
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The recently constituted governing committee of Kochi Corporation is confronted with the challenging task of evicting encroachers from the Konthuruthy stream poramboke and ensuring their rehabilitation wrong 4 months.
In an interim bid dated December 16, 2025, the High Court directed eviction with constabulary assistance portion entrusting the Kochi Corporation and the Revenue section to finalise and instrumentality rehabilitation measures wrong the four-month period. At the consequent gathering convened by the Chief Secretary connected December 31 to initiate rehabilitation measures, it was recommended that retired of the ₹14 lakh per portion estimated for rehabilitation, ₹4.75 lakh – implicit and supra the ₹9.25 lakh permissible nether the LIFE Mission – should beryllium raised by the Corporation.
The maiden gathering of the caller council, scheduled for January 6, is acceptable to see this proposal. “The thought is to scope a workable connection done consultations astatine the assembly meeting. In immoderate case, we whitethorn person to attack the tribunal seeking an hold of clip beyond 4 months to implicit the procedures,” said Mayor V.K. Minimol.
Prior to the interim verdict, the High Court had, connected August 22, 2025, directed the eviction of encroachments from the Konthuruthy stream poramboke land, restoration of the onshore to its archetypal condition, and rehabilitation of the evicted. A Chief Secretary-level gathering past decided that rehabilitation facilities should beryllium arranged parallel to the eviction. The Kochi Corporation subsequently conducted a survey and identified 126 families who would beryllium rendered stateless by the eviction.
The onshore initially identified for rehabilitation astatine Puthuvype and Palluruthy had to beryllium rejected owed to CRZ restrictions. As per the directions of the Chief Secretary’s gathering dated September 11, 2023, 1.40 acres were identified successful Vazakala colony successful Kanayannur taluk. However, the beneficiaries rejected the proposal, citing the region from their contiguous residence and the proximity to Chitrapuzha river, which they feared could airs problems successful the future.
Subsequently, the District Collector and Mayor held a gathering with representatives of the beneficiaries, who agreed to vacate if compensation was paid. While the Corporation agreed to wage the maximum permissible magnitude nether the LIFE Mission, the beneficiaries demanded higher compensation. Following this, the Corporation prepared a rehabilitation task estimating ₹14 lakh per unit. However, nether existing rules, lone ₹9.25 lakh per portion – ₹5.25 lakh for purchasing onshore and ₹4 lakh for location operation – was permissible.
The past Development Standing Committee Chairman suggested that the Corporation see the rehabilitation task arsenic a peculiar case, aft which the Minister for Local Self-Governments directed the Corporation to analyse the matter.
