UDF walkout in Corpn. over revamp of panel

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, OCT. 22. The Opposition UDF staged a walkout from a meeting of the City Corporation Council today alleging political bias in the reconstitution of an implementation committee for projects under the People's Plan Campaign. The committee set-up was moved as a supplementary agenda by the Mayor, Ms. J. Chandra. The resolution sought the Council's approval to nominate Mr. S. Sugathan as chairman of the reconstituted panel for the Corporation's computer training centre, reprographic centre and sales outlet. The former convener, Mr. T. Balan, was proposed as one of the members and the Corporation Superintendent as convener. Mr. Sugathan who was the head of the Plan Campaign Cell in the Corporation and Mr. Balan, the former Corporation superintendent, were recently transferred from the Corporation. Opposing the resolution, the UDF benches said the choice of the two officials to the committee was guided solely by political compulsions and the need to cover up corrupt deals. The UDF parliamentary party leader, Mr. K. Maheswaran Nair, warned that the Opposition would prevent any move to provide a backdoor entry to the officials. He alleged that the decision was part of the LDF agenda to torpedo development activities in the city. Defending the resolution, the LDF members hurled the charge back at the UDF councillors accusing them of adopting a negative approach to the Plan Campaign. The Mayor said the two officials had been retained in view of their experience in handling the projects. Not satisfied with the explanation, the UDF members walked out of the meeting, even as the Mayor declared the resolution adopted. The council adopted another resolution urging the Government to publish the list of BPL (Below Poverty Line) families in the district. Several members said councillors were denied a role in the survey to identify BPL families in the city. They said many eligible families had been left out. The Mayor said the survey had been carried out by the Government and not the Corporation. The resolution calling on the Government to publish the BPL list was moved by the Works standing committee chairman, Mr. V.S. Padmakumar. The meeting also adopted a resolution condoling the death of the former Union Minister, Madhavarao Scindia, the former Kerala Speaker, A.P. Kurien, the social reformer, M.R. Bhattathiripad, movie artiste Sankarady and the music director, A.T. Ummer.

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Section  : Southern States
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