The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Kerala government to give Rs 25 lakh interim compensation to Maradu flat owners, after the court was told that some owners received lesser compensation, PTI reported. The Kerala government told the court that it has so far disbursed Rs 10 crore compensation.

The flats are located in Kochi’s Maradu area. More than 300 flats are being demolished in the area that falls under the Coastal Regulation Zone on the Supreme Court’s orders.

A bench of Justice Arun Mishra and S Ravindra Bhat also asked the builders of Maradu flats to deposit Rs 20 crore within one month with the court-appointed panel. The bench said that the attached bank accounts of the builders will be detached for the purpose of depositing the amount. The court also ordered the builders to submit their banking details on affidavit.

The Supreme Court rejected a petition by the builder association Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India, that the flats not be demolished but put to some other use. “We are not going back from our demolition orders,” the court said. “This matter can’t be agitated afresh. Our order is final.”

The court also asked the one-man committee to assess the documentary proof of payments made by flat owners to builders, after some homebuyers said that they had paid over Rs 25 lakh.

Last month too, the Supreme Court ordered the Kerala government to pay Rs 25 lakh as interim compensation to each flat owner. The compensation amount will be recovered from the builders.

The bench said last month that the demolition process should be completed in 138 days. The Kerala government has set a deadline of January 9, 2020, for the demolition of the flats. The removal of the debris and normalisation of the site will take place between January 10, 2020, and February 9, 2020.

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