Kerala High Court building in Kochi flouted norms: Ernakulam MLA Hibi Eden

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ernakulam MLA Hibi Eden has alleged that the Kerala High Court building in Kochi was constructed flouting norms. During discussions on urban development in the Assembly on Thursday, he said while many applications for constructions were pending for years due to CRZ rules and other technical issues, the nine-storey high court complex was standing tall despite flouting a series of norms. The building was not even issued a permit by the local body.

It did not have the clearance of fire safety authority or aviation authorities. Mr Eden also said the master plan for Kochi development was outdated and the city needed a revised one. Meanwhile, local self-governments minister K. T. Jaleel said buildings that were denied numbers by the local bodies for violations would be issued numbers by collecting a fine. No penalty will be collected for buildings below 750 square feet. Minimum fine will be Rs 2,000 for buildings of up to 1000 square feet. The maximum will be Rs 10 lakh.