Coastal authority moves at record speed to sanction construction owned by Speaker's brother

Kozhikode: The Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA) has moved at record speed to accord sanction for carrying out additional construction in the coastal structure owned by AN Shahir, brother of Speaker AN Shamseer.

Records reveal that the Authority that is yet to take a decision on similar applications pending for months and years, gave permission for this building in just four days.

The approval for the construction was given without imposing any conditions for a building that is just 27 metres from the sea and comes under the severely restricted CRZ-2 zone. Since it is a commercial establishment, it is the State Authority that considered the application. The city corporation too gave its approval for the construction after the KCZMA granted permission. The construction work that was halted after a controversy was resumed.

There was a controversy after 15 cents of land in a key area under the department of ports and a single-storey building were leased out at a throwaway price to the establishment Pradeep and Partners in which AN Shahir has a stake. The building was leased out for Rs. 45,000 a month when the market rate was Rs. 2 lakh per month.