KOCHI: This is the red fort of Ernakulam district which is ruled by the CPM-led LDF since it attained the status of a municipality. Compared to other city suburbs, Tripunithura has witnessed a sea change in its outlook.
Tripunithura is getting crowded with each passing day. To add to its woes is the inclusion of the Thiruvankulam panchayat in the newly-designed municipal
township.
“As the Thiruvankulam panchayat has no permanent waste dumping mechanism, the municipality has to find a provision to contain waste collected from the newly-added panchayat area,” said T S Saiffuddin, municipal secretary. The Council has already started the project of a new waste dump on the five-acre land acquired near the present dump, he said. But protests from locals make the execution of the project impossible.
As many as 49 wards will be there in the newly designed municipality with the merging of Thiruvankulam panchayat to the existing Tripunithura municipality.
The crucial problem faced by the ruling LDF and the Opposition is to find a comfortable seat to contest. Taking into consideration the Women’s Reservation Bill and the reservation for SC/ST, 28 seats out of 49 will go for reservation. From the remaining 21 seats, the general seats included in the present Tripunithura municipality are just 11.
Without solving the problems faced by the locals, the leaders are now busy settling disputes over the allotted seats. “This is not easy unlike the previous terms,” admits a senior LDF leader.
Most of the party members, irrespective of their difference in ideologies, have started the initial rounds of talks with the women councillors to design a mutual transfer of seats without the knowledge of the respective parties.
In such secret deals most of the leaders are ready to compromise their party
ideologies.
kochi@expressbuzz.com