Dismantle 7 sealed resorts on elephant corridor, panel to TN

UDHAGAMANDALAM: A Supreme Court-appointed committee has ordered the dismantling of seven resorts that were sealed way back in 2018 on the basis of a court orders.
The Segur Plateau Elephant Corridor Inquiry Committee, headed by former judge of Madras high court Justice K Venkataraman ordered the sealing of Mount View Farm House, Belmont Retreat 1 and 2, Casa Deep Wood Resort, Wild Haven Resort, Wild Adventure Farm House and Safari Land Farm and Guest House, located in and around Bokkapuram area near Masinagudi.
The committee issued the order on August 19, directing the government of Tamil Nadu and the Nilgiris district administration to take necessary action against property as per the judgments of the Madras high court and that of the Supreme Court delivered in April 2011 and October 2020 respectively.
In a small respite, the committee also said the property-owners concerned might be allowed an opportunity by the district administration to voluntarily dismantle the sealed buildings and transport all the material, including fence posts, gates etc., out of the property before action is initiated.
In 2020, the Supreme Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to notify the 'Sigur elephant corridor' in the Nilgiris district, and appointed a three-member committee headed by Justice K Venkataraman to hear the complaints of the resort owners in the elephant corridor against the action taken by the Nilgiris collector and other allied issues. All the buildings in these seven resorts were sealed as per the order of SC in 2018.
The committee's gave a finding that most buildings in the seven resorts were used for commercial purposes though the building licenses mentioned them as dwelling houses. The committee said the resort owners had violated building rules, deviated from original plans and violated the Forest Conservation Act 1980. All the seven fall under the corridor, it held.
When contacted, Abudu Kumar Rajaratnam, counsel for the seven resorts, said they will consider more legal options available.