Alappuzha municipality to move court against cut in fine

Alappuzha: The Alappuzha municipality has decided to  move the court challenging the government order slashing the penalty on Lake Palace  resort promoted by former transport minister Thomas Chandy from Rs 1. 17 crore to Rs 34 lakh.

The council convened on Tuesday decided to ask the government to suspend the municipal secretary who implemented the order in haste.   

The additional chief secretary (local administration) had issued an order on July 12 asking the Alappuzha municipality to receive Rs 34 lakh as penalty in connection with the irregularities in the  constructions at Lake Palace resort .

Earlier, the municipality had turned down the state government's request to reduce the fine of Rs. 1.17 crore.  Urban affairs department regional joint director V.R. Raju, after a visit to the site, submitted a report to the government against the findings of the municipality and suggested to cut the fine to Rs. 34 lakh.

Municipal chairman Thomas Joseph said the state government has no right to intervene in the matter.  In November 2018, the municipality had asked the Water World Tourism Company, promoters of the resort, to demolish or regularise the unauthorised buildings at the resort. The resort submitted an application for regularising the constructions and the municipality imposed an initial fine of Rs. 2.73 crore. Officials said that the resort had already paid the fine for the 10 illegal buildings. However, the municipality has not yet regularised the structures as the resort failed to produce relevant documents. Regarding 22 buildings, the resort has submitted documents of six structures. Following this, the municipality reduced the penalty to Rs. 1.17 crore for 16 structures.