The Kerala High Court has strongly criticised Naduvil Grama Panchayat in Kannur for relentlessly pursuing a third round of litigation over just ₹50,000, using public funds to fuel legal battles.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice S Manu slammed the panchayat's decision to continue its legal fight despite repeated rulings against it. The court stressed that public money should not be squandered on endless litigation.

"Considering that litigation costs are being paid from public funds, the Grama Panchayat should have been prudent about where to stop. Just because further appeals are available, it doesn’t mean the Panchayat should keep litigating regardless of the amount involved," the court observed.
The dispute arose when a resident applied for financial assistance under the 2017-18 People's Planning Programme to renovate his home. Though initially included in the beneficiary list, the resident later found that he had been removed and replaced by another person. The resident approached the Ombudsman for Local Self-Government Institutions, which ruled in his favour and directed the Panchayat to grant him the benefits.
However, instead of complying, the Panchayat filed a writ petition challenging the order, which was dismissed.

Undeterred, it then escalated the matter to a writ appeal—marking its third round of litigation. The High Court made it clear that just because an appeal is available, it does not justify relentless litigation. The court disposed of the writ appeal, effectively ending the Panchayat's legal battle.
(With LiveLaw inputs.)