Kottayam: A court here has attached 1 acre of land belonging to the Public Works Department (PWD) after the agency ran into arrears of Rs 3 crore in payment to contractors. The Principal Sub Court also ordered that 30 cents of the land should be put up for a final auction on January 5 for recovering the arrears.
The court’s action came after the PWD failed to pay money to contractors P T Thomas of Purayidathil house, Thellakom, and his son Titto Thomas, for road constructions carried out from 2000 to 2008.
The PWD land and offices situated in the centre of Kottayam city near the KSRTC bus stand were attached. The offices of the executive engineers are functioning here but their work will not be affected for now.
The dues had accrued on payments for the construction of some parts of the Ettumanoor-Poonjar highway, Ettumanoor-Vaikom road and other roads in the district.
Though the PWD had filed appeals in the High Court and the Supreme Court against the orders of the Principal Sub Court and Additional Sub Court, they were dismissed.
When the contractors did not receive the money even after the verdict, they moved the court for payment of the arrears with interest. The contractors informed the court that since the arrears were a huge amount, they had stopped work completely.
Advocates R V Vikraman Nair and Rajiv P Nair appeared in court for the contractors.
Thirunakkara ground too may be seized
Meanwhile, the Thirunakkara ground which is in the very heart of Kottayam town is also under threat of attachment.
Revenue Minister K Rajan has said that the Land Revenue Commissioner had been asked to submit the final report over clearing the dues of the Kottayam Municipality by seizing the ground which has been leased to the civic body.
The civic body owes Rs 3.51 crore to the Revenue department. The former has been served a revenue recovery notice over the arrears in the payment of rent.
An unfair case
On the other hand, a farmer here is at his wit's end as he has been served a property attachment notice even after clearing a loan years ago. He received the second notice from the revenue recovery adalat the other day.
T J Joseph of Thannittamatthil house, Pandipoyil, Varambatta, received the notice from the Ambalavayal revenue recovery office, asking him to pay the loan arrears with interest and other expenses as admissible under the law. The notice also said that one more opportunity was being given for paying back the loan and freeing himself from all related obligations and that he should reach the SKMJ Jubilee Hall at Kalpetta, where the revenue recovery was being conducted.
Joseph received the first notice from the Vythiri recovery office last February last, informing him that his property would be attached if the loan amount of Rs 1,32,197 including the principal and interest, was not repaid before March 2.
Joseph, who had taken a loan of Rs 66,000 from the State Bank of India branch at Mananthavady in April 2010, had paid back Rs 85,000, including the interest, in July 2016, and received the relevant documents. When Joseph approached the bank after he received the first notice, he was told that there was no outstanding debt in his name.
