KOCHI: Kochi Corporation’s council meeting was concluded within minutes after the opposition raised an allegation of corruption in the contract to run the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant. Though the uproar against the mayor and the ruling front had been building, it boiled over into the council hall on Friday.
With the opposition in no mood to relent, Mayor M Anilkumar left the hall, calling off the meeting. The Ernakulam Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had ordered a speedy inquiry into the irregularities in the tender process for the plant. The Vigilance Special Court in an order has sought the completion of the investigation within two months and a report by January 18.
The corporation had invited tenders on April 21, 2021, to operate the Brahmapuram plant for two years. Star Construction bagged the contract by stating that they have solid waste management experience in Malappuram and Ottapalam municipalities. The opposition had earlier alleged that the documents provided by the company were fake.