Khushi Gupta
Published on: April 27, 2022 at 18:06 IST
The Kerala High Court has set aside a Vigilance Court’s Order for an enquiry on the awarding of Contract for removing excess sand from Pamba river following the recent floods.
The High Court said the Vigilance Court could not have ordered for a quick verification when an Order issued by the State Government declining a Vigilance Probe was in force.
The complaint was filed regarding the District Collector’s Order awarding the Contract for removing 90,000 cubic metres of sand that ended up at Pamba-Triveni after the 2018 floods. The Order was issued by Collector PB Nooh as the Chairman of District disaster management authority and the contract was granted to a Government undertaking named Kerala Claims and Ceramics Products Ltd.
It was alleged in the complaint that the Order was issued without the Permission of Revenue and forest departments for removal of sand from the lands under these departments.
Declining a Vigilance Probe, the Government had said that the Collector’s Order was to restore the natural flow of the river and to prevent future floods.