Lawwatch : Legal Resources for Advocates

The Tribunal for Local Self Government Institutions, Thiruvananthapuram, frequently disposes of appeals filed against demolition orders not on merits, but by setting aside the Secretary's order on purely technical or procedural grounds, such as absence of a provisional order or notice under Section 235W(1)/(2) of the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, or the corresponding Section 406(1)/(2) of the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994) and remanding the matter for fresh consideration.

When a local government receives a complaint or finds that a building owner has erected an unauthorised building in violation of the building permit and building rules, it often invokes its demolition power under Section 406 of the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994 — but does so in haste, without following the prescribed procedure such as mandatory provisional notice, personal hearing, and drafting it ignoring the basic principles of natural justice.

The Kerala High Court, in Renjini K.K. v. Mannancherry Grama Panchayat & Ors. [2026:KER:33874], has reiterated that quasi-judicial tribunals cannot dispose of appeals through cryptic conclusions devoid of reasoning, holding that every adjudicatory authority must record clear reasons reflecting application of mind.

In order to check the rise of arbitrary demolition of building structures, the Supreme Court, in In Re: Directions in the matter of Demolition of Structures v. and Ors [2024 INSC 86], issued comprehensive, nationwide directives governing the demolition of properties. The ruling reinforces the rule of law, ensuring that punitive demolitions cannot be done bye passing constitutional safeguards.