The swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected members to the district panchayat, municipalities, block panchayats and grama panchayats was held at various places in the district by adhering to the COVID-19 protocol on Monday.
The swearing-in ceremony of the district panchayat members was held at the District Panchayat Conference Hall here at 10 a.m. on the day. District Collector Adeela Abdulla, who is also the District Election Officer, administered the oath of office to the senior-most member, N.C. Prasad of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who administered the oath to the rest of the 15 members.
Ms. Adeela, who is in quarantine after her driver tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 recently, arrived for the ceremony in personal protective equipment (PPE). Though she tested negative, she wore the kit as a precautionary measure.
M. Sajeer, Joint Registrar, Cooperative Societies, who was also the returning officer of the Kalpetta municipality, administered the oath to the senior most member of the civic body, C.K. Sivaraman.
Basil Paul, Executive Engineer, Minor Irrigation Division, Sulthan Bathery, and A.S. Sheena, Executive Engineer, Minor Irrigation, Mananthavady, administered the oath to Valsa Jose of Sulthan Bathery municipality and Margaret Thomas of Mananthavady municipality respectively.
The elections to the posts of municipal chairpersons will be held on December 28 and elections to the posts of chiefs in grama panchayats, block panchayats, and the district panchayat will be held on December 30.
