THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The twin multi-storeyed buildings at Aristo Junction, owned by controversial businessman Xavi Mano Mathew, which have been giving sleepless nights to the officials in the City Corporation and Minor Irrigation for several months, have turned out to be big hurdles in the widening of the Thampanoor-Aristo Junction road. Sources told ‘City Express’ that the widening of this road had hit a roadblock near this building. A transformer which was planned to be relocated still remains at the old place on the road as the ‘puramboke land’ which was supposed to accommodate this transformer had mysteriously vapourised. Corporation officials allege that this land has already been fenced by the building owner for private use. After repeated reminders from the KSEB and Kerala Road Fund Board, the City Corporation had revoked the permit for the new building among the two and just over two weeks back, it had issued a stop memo to constructions in the old building. Though the Corporation in its revoke order had said that the Revenue Department must probe whether the building has come up in ‘purumboke’ land, it has not yet been done. According to sources in the Corporation, Xavi Mano Mathew, Managing Director of Southern Hospitalities Private Limited, had first constructed a building at Aristo Junction almost ten years back. At the time, the government had allowed exemptions in the plan in accordance with the old building permit rules. In 2010, Xavi had sought the permit for another building as an extension to the old one and the permit was granted. He also sought the sanction from the Irrigation Department to build a slab over a culvert to enter the old building. It was almost a year ago that the extended building first invited controversy. Owner of an adjacent plot had moved the Tribunal for Local Self-Government raising the contention that the building was short of required legal provisions. The Tribunal, in September 2010, had then asked the Corporation to initiate action against the building, finding the application submitted by Xavi for permit rather incomplete. However, Xavi had moved the High Court and acquired permission to ‘complete the construction under his own risk’. The Irrigation Department, which initially gave the go-ahead did a u-turn. ‘’We found that the owner had not built the slab in accordance with the sanction we had granted. We then served him a notice, for which he had moved the Court. A Commission was then appointed to submit a report to the government on the issue, which has been duly submitted. The issue is pending with the government and the High Court now,’’ said Unnikrishnan, Chief Engineer, Minor Irrigation. After the Irrigation Department, it was the turn of the City Corporation to have a rethink about its permit. But by the time the Corporation completed the formalities of the hearing and issued a revoke order months back, the building had already come up. ‘’We have already revoked the permit for the extension building. A stop memo has also been served for the first one on a complaint that the owner was carrying out construction in this part,’’ said K Biju, Corporation Secretary. However, Xavi Mano Mathew alleges that it is all a conspiracy against him from some quarters who want to fix him in controversies. ‘’I built the slab according to the sanction given by the Irrigation Department. And I have not done any construction in the last two months. The controversy is being propagated by some people to cause me harm. I have moved the High Court in this regard. A verdict is expected next week,’’ Xavi told Express.
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