The High Court of Kerala on Monday gave permission to Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Co. Pvt Ltd (KDHP) for using the bungalows in its tea estate of Munnar for the purpose of tourism. KDHP is a subordinate company of Tata Global Beverages and owns around 24000 hectares of land as well as more than 20 bungalows at its tea estate.
The directive was issued by Justice K Surendra Mohan after taking into account 2 petitions that were filed by KDHP enquiring about the withdrawal of licenses that were earlier given by Devikulam and Munnar Panchyats to use the estate bungalows for tourism.
Joseph Kodianthara, counsel of KDHP had submitted that there were no initiation of any new construction and the permission was being asked only to use the existing estate bungalows for the purpose of tourism. These bungalows are around 100 years old and were erected by the British. The aim is to use the bungalows to appeal foreign tourists towards plantation tourism
The Court directed that the revenue that would be garnered by using these bungalows as resorts or homestays would be used for the maintenance and well as preservation of these structures.
Although licenses were issued by the panchayats of Munnar and Devikulam but the collector of Idukki district had directed a stop memo to KDHP on 6th November, 2013. This order of the collector did not had any reference about the provision of law but it only stated that these licenses violated an interim order of the high court of the state.
Permitting KDHP on proceeding with its plan of plantation tourism project including the bungalows of the estates, the court stated, “What is proposed is only to utilize the existing structures for tourism purposes, with a view to generating additional income. No provision of law or other restrictive covenant has been brought to my notice interdicting such utilization. Therefore, the objections taken by the authorities against such utilization are unsustainable. It is held so.”