KOCHI: In what could be termed as a jolt to the private company entrusted with the task of setting up a waste-to-energy plant at Brahmapuram, the CPM-led Opposition is planning to approach the Chief Minister and LSGD Minister for conducting an inquiry into the firm’s ‘financial stability’.
The Opposition expressed its apprehensions after the civic body decided not to lease out 20 acres at Brahmapuram to GJ Eco Power, the Indian arm of a UK-based company. The health standing committee recommended the council that it need not have to consider leasing out the land owing to its legal complications.
“Almost three years have passed after the civic body signed an agreement with the company. But there has been an inordinate delay from the company to start the preparatory works. If the company has sound financial stability they need not have to approach the Corporation for mortgaging the 20 acres. We have apprehensions over the company’s financial status so we are planning to approach the Chief Minister and the LSGD minister to conduct an inquiry,” said K J Antony, Opposition leader.
According to him, Kochiites are looking forward to its implementation. “This is the project we all are looking forward to. The delay from the company has already upset us. The company is yet to possess all the documents needed for its implementation. Before executing the project, we have to ensure whether the company has all the credentials to execute it. We will write a letter to the CM and the LSGD Minister to conduct an enquiry,” said the Opposition leader.
It was in February 2016 the Corporation signed an agreement with the company for setting up the waste-to-energy plant, for which 20 acres has been handed over for an annual fee of `393 per square metre for land and `175 for the wetland. Though Express tried to contact the company officials they were unavailable to comment on the issue. However, the officials had earlier said that the Corporation’s decision might not affect them. According to them, leasing out the land is an option to raise the fund for the firm.
Legal tangle
The health standing committee recommended the council that it need not have to consider leasing out the land owing to its legal complications.
Land in trouble
It was in February 2016 the Corporation signed an agreement with the company for setting up the waste-to-energy plant, for which 20 acres has been handed over for an annual fee of B393 per square metre for land and B175 for the wetland