Asking the police to act tough against the nokkukooli system, the Kerala high court on Tuesday advised the DGP to rise to the occasion and prevent the practice.
The bench comprising justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and justice K. Vinod Chandran issued the directive while considering a petition filed by the Kollam Contract Labour Cooperative Society seeking police protection to carry out its works.
The petitioner submitted that the society had undertaken three contract works in Thiruvananthapuram district under the Directorate of Inland Navigation, which were suffering due to the nokkukooli problems.
“If the state government could not suppress such illegal practices, it would be a matter of constitutional shame. The question gained importance particularly when developmental activities are being thwarted by recourse to such anti-social and unlawful activities which, when collectively done, becomes offences affecting the society at large,” the court observed.
What was the preventive action the state had taken against this sort of unlawful activities, the court asked.
The court added that the state should show the executive will to act tough against such practices. It directed the police to take action under the provisions of the criminal law, and provide adequate protection to the petitioners to carry out their activities with their own employees.