GIDA authorised to develop Queen’s Walkway in Kochi, says High Court
The Kerala High Court has ruled that the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA) is authorized to develop the Queen’s Walkway in Kochi, including the installation of commercial kiosks. This decision overturns a previous ruling that favored local apartment owners who argued the kiosks would obstruct pedestrian rights.
Why it matters
The ruling clarifies the jurisdiction of development authorities over public spaces and balances urban development projects against public access rights.
The Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA) is authorised to develop the Goshree-Chathiyath road and Queen’s Walkway in Kochi, the Kerala High Court has said.
The Division Bench of Justices A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and A.K. Preetha held that GIDA putting up kiosks, in a manner approved by the Bench, would not infringe any fundamental right of pedestrians.
The Division Bench thus set aside a Single Bench decision that the construction of commercial kiosks on Queen’s Walkway would affect pedestrians’ rights guaranteed under the Constitution. The Division Bench also set aside the Single Bench’s finding that the land fell under the jurisdiction of the Kochi Corporation and not GIDA.
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