THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Dramatic scenes unfolded during the introductory budget speech of Mayor Arya Rajendran after she blatantly attacked the Union government for the financial crisis the state was going through.
BJP councillors disrupted the mayor’s speech by raising slogans and staged a walkout.
The mayor, who showered praises on the achievements of the state government, severely criticised the BJP-led Union government for showing discrimination in allocating funds to the state.
She said that secularism and democracy were gradually disappearing from the country.
This remark irked BJP councillors. After staging a walkout, the BJP councillors continued their protest inside the council hall until the mayor concluded her speech. Deputy mayor P K Raju lashed out against the BJP councillors saying that their protest was against the Constitution.
Opposition leader M R Gopan alleged that the corporation budget is just a repetition of the previous budgets. He said that the budget failed to address the reeling issues faced by the citizens.
“Waterlogging is a major issue faced by the people here. Apart from preparing a master plan for flood mitigation, there is no other major project proposed to mitigate waterlogging. Only 32 out of the 100 wards have drainage network and the ruling front has failed to address this issue,” said Gopan.
He said that mandating user fee collection for the removal of non-biodegradable waste from households and establishments by the Haritha Karma Sena and the decision to collect it along with the taxes from the non-paying residents is an anti-people move.