THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: UDF and BJP councillors created a ruckus at the Corporation council meeting on Wednesday alleging non-transparency in an agreement signed by the Corporation regarding the LIFE Mission project. The councillors opposed the agenda proposed by the welfare standing committee, regarding the Life Mission.According to the agenda, the Corporation has signed a `1 crore agreement with the Kerala NGO union for constructing houses. Based on the agreement, the NGO will provide funds for the project and the Corporation should provide land for building houses. The Corporation has agreed to provide land in Mannanthala ward.
“There is no transparency in the agreement,” said BJP councillor V Giri Kumar. “If the NGO takes up the project, then the Corporation will have no role in it and all the credit goes to the NGO. The Corporation has to implement it without the involvement of a third party.”However, welfare standing committee chairman Geetha Gopal maintained the project will be implemented under the City Corporation and the NGO will be responsible only for providing funds. The Opposition is aiming to suppress a good initiative taken by the government, she alleged. Social security pension scheme. The delay in distributing social security pensions was another issue that created chaos in the council meeting with opposition councillors blaming the government for the delay.
“There are many senior citizens who had applied for pensions, but have not yet received it for the past 2.5 years. The welfare committee should speed up the process. The government website has been closed for the past few months,” said Anil Kumar D, Pettah councillor.The website was opened for 10 days and the Corporation pension department entered the selected beneficiaries list. The welfare standing committee has assured they are in the process. By Onam, some beneficiaries will be included under the security pension scheme.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) agenda
Opposition councillors alleged those included under PMAY project are not being given benefits even after three years. “The deadline of the PMAY project is 2022. Of about 7,771 beneficiaries selected under the project, 4,058 have been given permits for constructing the building. Currently, `5 crore has been sanctioned for the project and money has been transferred to 3,958 beneficiaries,” said Mayor V K Prasanth.The non-functioning of streetlights at various wards and cleanliness were some issues discussed at the meet.
Allegations of non-transparency
The Corporation has signed a C1 crore agreement with the Kerala NGO union for constructing houses. Based on the agreement, the NGO will provide funds for the project and the Corporation should provide land for building houses.