C. T. MUHAMMED @ KUNJAPPA Vs. EDAKKARA GRAMA PANCHAYATH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioners are the tenants who have been occupying respective shop rooms in a shopping complex belonging to the 1st respondent Panchayat for the last several years. They claim that the income from their respective trades being conducted in the Panchayat shopping complex is the only source of livelihood for their family and also that they are quite sentimentally attached to the building. While so, Panchayat issued Exts.P1 and P5 to P9 notices, seeking the petitioners to vacate the building occupied by them as it was dilapidated and to enable it to be demolished. Challenge in the writ petition is against the notices for eviction. This writ petition was admitted in 2013 and an interim order was granted on 29.07.2016 directing that no eviction of the petitioners shall be effected, which interim order continues as on date. I am informed that petitioners continue to occupy their respective rooms even today.

(2.) It is submitted at the Bar that in the meantime, Panchayat has constructed a new building as a shopping complex and it has been decided by the Panchayat to allot rooms for the petitioners in the new complex.

(3.) The learned Standing Counsel, Sri.U.K.Devidas submits that the Panchayat has already decided to allot rooms to the petitioners and has even handed over possession of the rooms in the new shopping complex. It is pointed out that the new complex has not yet become functional.