Mangaluru : To save face from the embarrassment of attachment of property of the office of Assistant Commissioner, Mangaluru sub-division, the State government hurriedly released Rs. 34 crore of additional compensation pertaining to 77 cases, on Monday.

The attachment had been ordered by a court following delay in release of compensation for land acquisition.

This action was following court staff attaching furniture, computers, ceiling fans and the vehicle of Assistant Commissioner, Mangaluru, in execution of the decree of a city civil court in favour of Christine D’Souza, who was among the 77 who had sought enhanced compensation.

Ms. D’Souza and 76 land-losers had approached the court in 2006 for enhancement of the compensation amount fixed for acquisition of land for the new runaway of Mangaluru International Airport in 1990.

After several months, the court passed separate decrees stating the enhanced amount of compensation that needed to be paid to each petitioner. In Ms. D’Souza’s case, the court had directed the State government to pay Rs. 46. 25 lakh.

These decrees were sent by the district administration to the Law Department. While the Law Department directed the State government to pay the enhanced amount ordered by the court in a few cases, it directed the government to file an appeal before the High Court in the remaining cases. As the district administration was awaiting release of amount for payment of compensation, Ms. D’Souza filed a petition seeking execution of the decree of the city court.

On Monday, court bailiff Vishwanath K informed Assistant Commissioner D.R. Ashok about the amount that needed to be paid to Ms. D’Souza. Mr. Vishwanath then went ahead with attachment of 17 tables, 26 cupboards, 25 chairs, 25 ceiling fans, 18 computers and printers, the Mahindra Scorpio car, two copying machines and five steel racks. The total value of these properties amounted to Rs. 9.26 lakh.

Later in the evening, an official release was sent stating that Rs. 34 crore had been released by the State government. The release said the government had accepted the special proposal of Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim, submitted following attachment of properties, and released the amount.

This was the total amount that the city court had directed the State government to pay 77 persons, the release said.