THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Waste management during the recent Attukal Pongala festival triggered heated discussions in the corporation council meeting held on Wednesday, with LDF councillors alleging major lapses in handling and disposal of festival waste.
The council session turned stormy when the agenda related to the Health Standing Committee came up for discussion and opposition councillors raised the issue of Pongala waste management.
LDF councillors staged a stiff protest against Mayor V V Rajesh and members of the ruling front for not allowing LDF councillor Vanchiyoor Babu to speak on the issue.
Interrupting the session, the mayor maintained that Pongala waste management had been carried out successfully and that there were no lapses in the clean-up operations.
Amid heated exchanges, opposition councillors stormed into the well of the council hall. Following the disruption, the mayor announced that all agenda items except one had been passed and concluded the council session.
Subsequently, opposition councillors led by LDF parliamentary party leader S P Deepak, along with K Sreekumar and Rakhi Ravikumar, staged a protest inside the council hall and later laid siege to the mayor’s office.
The LDF also decided to take up the issue with the state government and demanded immediate removal of Pongala waste dumped in many parts of the capital, particularly at KSRTC-owned land at Enchakkal, where local residents have already launched protests.
The opposition also criticised the ruling front for allegedly failing to effectively enforce the green protocol during the festival.
During the council meeting, Town Planning Standing Committee chairman Pattoor Radhakrishnan raised corruption allegations related to events organised during the previous council’s tenure. The allegation surfaced during discussions on agenda items concerning bills for event management.
He demanded that the council examine the expenditure, alleging that the amounts quoted for renting lamps and other items for events appeared unusually high. The council also discussed an agenda item on extending the contract of temporary workers for 179 days. However, Mayor Rajesh said several complaints had been received against some workers and action would be required after scrutiny.
Considering the impending elections, the mayor said the contract period would be extended only for 89 days, after which further decisions would be taken based on an evaluation of their performance.