The newly elected members of the three-tier local bodies in the district took the oath of office on Monday.
District Collector D. Balamurali administered the oath to the eldest member of the district panchayat, V.K. Jayaprakash, who was elected from the Puthuppariyaram division.
Mr. Jayaprakash later administered the oath to the remaining members of the district panchayat. District panchayat secretary P. Anil Kumar read out a letter by Local Administration Minister A.C. Moideen congratulating the newly elected members.
Oath in PPE
Mini Murali, who was elected from the Kozhinjampara division, took the oath by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) as she was in quarantine.
Outgoing district panchayat president K. Santhakumari, former president T.K. Narayanadas, and CPI(M) district secretary C.K. Rajendran, attended the function.
In Palakkad municipality, where the unfurling of a Jai Sriram banner by the Sangh Parivar activists had kicked up a controversy, the swearing-in took place in the presence of a strong police force. Municipal electoral officer Sreedhara Varier administered the oath of office to the eldest member N. Sivarajan in the municipality. Mr. Sivarajan then administered the oath to 51 other members.
In Pattambi municipality, 28 elected members took the oath of office.
Several political leaders, including Mohammed Mohasin, MLA, attended the function. Subcollector Arjun Pandian administered the oath of office to the eldest member S. Gangadharan at Ottapalam municipality.
Mr. Gangadharan later administered the oath to other members. The newly elected members took the oath in Chittur Thathamangalam, Cherpulassery, Mannarkkad and Shoranur municipalities too, apart from the 13 block panchayats and 88 grama panchayats.
