The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to inform the court about the steps taken to remove the unauthorised flagpoles installed in public places in the State.
Justice Devan Ramachandran issued the directive when a writ petition was filed by Mannam Sugar Mills Cooperative Limited, Pandalam, seeking to remove various flagpoles erected by various trade unions in front of its gate.
The court orally observed that flagpoles could be seen in every nook and cranny of the public places in the State. It had always led to law and order problems. The court said that it failed to understand under what authority such flagpoles were being erected on road margins and public places. In fact, the situation in the State was that anybody could erect flag poles unauthorisedly in public places.
The court pointed out that when a common man erected such poles, action would be taken against them. However, when established institutions and organisations did it, no action was taken against them. The court noted that that such erection of flag poles in public places went against the land utilisation orders and other laws related to land conservation.
The court impleaded the Secretary, Local Self-government Institutions, as a respondent and posted the case for further hearing on November 1.
