THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala government has registered a case against Sanjay Kaushik, former Secretary, department of Ports, in connection with construction of road near Vizhinjam project area.
The FIR registered in a CJM court implicates the former secretary for sanctioning the construction of coastal road, flouting the coastal zone regulation norms, during the tenure of LDF government. If the charges are proved, he may get 5 years’ imprisonment and may have to pay a penalty of Rs 5 lakh.
Road has been constructed at 6000 metres away from the Vizhinjam project area. When the construction of the road triggered controversy, the then LDF government had tendered an official apology and solved the problem then. However, complaints came from different quarters that simply an apology would not suffice as the act of building road without the permission of the central government was a criminal mistake.
As per the 1991 coastal zone regulation rules, no development activities should be allowed within in the 200-metre radius of the coastal zone. It is this norm that had been "flouted".
Meanwhile, critics say the government’s present move shows its double dealing in the issue. Questions have been raised as to why the government has not come forward to take action against 29 resorts including 18 posh ones in the area that are flouting coastal zone regulation rules.
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