Kooroppada: It is likely that numerous businesses in Kerala are faced with unfavourable regulations and oppressive red tape. The issue was in the spotlight recently after a builder committed suicide after a local body in Kannur withheld documents.
Further south, at Kooroppada in Kerala’s Kottayam district, an entrepreneur has been running from pillar to post to get hold of a number for a newly built building.
The owner of Manayil Traders, M P Augusty, had constructed the building with money earned from work overseas. The building, Manayil Tower, was constructed at Kooroppada in 2007. He was allotted the number for the first floor. He got permission for building the second floor in 2011 and constructed four apartments.
After his neighbours complained that there was not enough distance between their plot and the building, Augusty's perils started. He gave application at the Kooroppada panchayat as per the Right to Information Act in 2013. It was then he came to know that the neighbour's complaint was not registered. It was registered at the panchayat only in July 2013.
Though he approached two secretaries at the panchayat, they merely made excuses and no follow-up action was taken, it is said.
Panchayat's explanation
The current panchayat secretary, Mini Mural, said that the application submitted by the building owner was forwarded to the district town planner as per the Regularisation of Unauthorised Constructions rules, 2018.
After inspections, the town planning office had sent back the file highlighting certain irregularities.
The secretary informed that these were rectified and that the file was resubmitted to the town planning office.
An expatriate businessman, Sajen Parayil of Kannur, had committed suicide in June after he was allegedly denied the occupancy certificate by the Anthoor municipality. The multi-crore project, however, got clearance on Saturday, 18 days after his suicide.
