Kochi: Maradu flat owners allowed more time to produce ownership documents

The three-member committee, which will decide the compensation to be given to the owners of the Maradu flats, held a meeting in Kochi on Thursday and decided to grant additional time for submission of ownership documents.

"The claim petition and supporting documents shall be delivered to the municipality within one week from today," said an official statement by Maradu Municipal Secretary after the meeting.

It said that the committee will hold the next meeting on October 14, when the submitted applications will be considered.

"Applications received after that will be considered on October 17, 2019," the statement said.

It was decided in the meeting that the flat owners who have produced the sale deeds, even if their names are changes in the municipal records, are eligible to get the amount directed by the Supreme Court provided the deeds are found to be in order.

"The flat owners may file claim petitions supported by an affidavit claiming the amount they have actually paid to the builder with supporting documents. Original title deeds or their certified copies obtained from the sub-registrar should be produced before the Maradu Municipal Secretary for verification and attestation," it added.

The Supreme Court had ordered interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to each flat owner to be paid within four weeks.

On May 8, the apex court ordered the state government to demolish the buildings violating CRZ rules in Maradu area in Ernakulam.

The court had, on September 23, reprimanded the government for not acting on its order and allegedly allowing multi-storey buildings to come up illegally in a coastal zone and said it will fix responsibility on the erring officials involved in such kind of construction.

As many as 400 flats will be demolished on the court's order.