KOCHI: Alleging corruption and malpractice in the functioning of Kochi Corporation, the Left Democratic Front has decided to stage a siege in front of the corporation on Friday. CPM central committee member A Vijayaraghavan will inaugurate the siege.
“During the past five years, the Kochi Corporation has done nothing for the development of the city. What they have done over the years is an eyewash. The siege is aimed at expressing our protest against the pathetic administration of corporation under Mayor Tony Chammany,” said corporation opposition leader K J Jacob at a press conference.
According to the leaders, they propose to start the siege by 6 am and won’t allow anyone to enter inside the corporation premises.
“The Mayor has some vested interests to safeguard. He is only worried about the business class people and not about the poor people. The Fort Kochi residents are struggling to get drinking water and it has been an issue for the past three years but nothing was done to provide sufficient water to the residents of West Kochi,” Jacob said.
The corporation has lost nearly `5 crore in allowing some agencies to to put up advertisements on the lamp posts in the city.
The permission given to Reliance to lay cable, occupancy certificate given to the Chennai Silks, efforts taken to stop the demolition of Emerald Hotel are the major examples of the UDF-led corporation’s corruption, the CPM leaders alleged.
“Most of the projects implemented by the corporation are in a stalled state. Widening of south overbridge, construction of Gosree-Mamangalam road, completion of Thammanam-Pullepady road, Edakochi bus-stand construction, cleaning of canal are the examples of the lackadaisical attitude of corporation,” said Advocate Sanjith, who attended the press meet.