The city is stinking of rotten garbage and corruption, the Opposition in the Thrissur Corporation council has alleged. In a symbolic protest, the Opposition United Democratic Front councillors carried garbage baskets to the council meeting.
“People have lost confidence in the Mayor. The Opposition is planning to bring a non-confidence motion against Mayor M.K. Varghese,” said Leader of the Opposition Rajan K. Pallan.
Corruption alleged
“Countdown has started for the number of days the Mayor is in power. Rotten garbage is seen on all roads in the city, including Sakthan Nagar. Even after repeated demands, the Mayor has not taken any steps to remove garbage. It is inefficiency of the Mayor and Health Standing Committee Chairman P.K. Shajan. The garbage treatment plants are not functioning. There is corruption amounting to crores in the name of garbage disposal,” he said.
The councillors said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) was looting the people. Even though there was a government order for exempting fees, the corporation was charging ₹15 for residency certificates. The Mayor should explain who gave the order without the knowledge of the council, they said.
Tariff hike
“The corporation is exploiting people by increasing power and drinking water tariff without the knowledge of the council. A council meeting on March 25, 2017 had decided not to increase charge of domestic water connections. Still the LDF increased the charge from April 1 this year cheating the council as well as the people,” Mr. Pallan alleged.
The Mayor and LDF parliamentary party leader P.K. Shajan had said that no fee would be charged henceforth for residency certificates, he said.
The Opposition councillors asked the corporation not to build an open stage at the place acquired for a shopping complex at Pattalam Road. The project would not only result in traffic block but also cause huge revenue loss to the corporation, they said.
They said the city was witnessing drinking water shortage and the water supplied was of poor quality. The Opposition demanded that a third pipe line be installed to solve the drinking water shortage.
The Mayor said a meeting would be convened with the water authority soon to address the drinking water issue.
