The Kerala High Court today pulled up Panchayat President of Santanpara panchayat of Idukki district for stating that he was completely unaware of the meeting’s agenda.
The task forces for the districts of Idukki, Palakkad, and Wayanad were formed based on the court’s previous order to deal with the rogue elephant Arikomban.
The division bench comprising of Justices AK Jayashankaran Nambiar and Gopinath P remarked that the Santanpara panchayat president has to collaborate with the task forces and can’t wash his hands off completely.
The court said that “We are only on legal issues. We see the panchayat president playing politics. If you are here with any other agenda. The panchayat president is saying he is unaware. Tell this panchayat president we know to deal with them.”
Further, the court observed that it’ll take action if the officials of the task forces act inadequately.
“We dealt with Arikomban. It is easier to deal with Arikomban than people. We are not directing, if he wants to dealt it, let him come here.”
Therefore, the Court went on to direct the State counsel to suggest names to form a new expert committee for reviving & restoration of natural habitat for the animals by the next hearing.
“How feasible is the reviving of natural habitat. We need a committee that has knowledge on this so that these animals don’t come to human settlement. We need an expert committee to monitor the whole thing. As a long-term measure, we need to address the problem so as to ensure it doesn’t occur in the future.”
Therefore, the court impleaded the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KELSA).
The pachyderm Arikkomban news for causing problems by granting into human settlements, sometimes along with his herd in the Munnar hill station.
However, the bench took the issue on a suo motu case initiated in July 2021 regarding the cruelty on animals. The PIL was kept open so that the Court could monitor when situations concerns with animal welfare arose in the State.
The matter will be heard next after two weeks.
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