The meeting of the Kochi Corporation Council witnessed a scathing sight on Friday when councilors from the ruling party and the opposition came face to face during a discussion on the new corporation office complex being built on Marine Drive.
The opposition went on overdrive by claiming that the mayor’s view that ₹40 crore would be required to complete the project, when the approval was for only ₹24.71 crore, was not justified.
The situation worsened when Mayor M. Anilkumar got furious after UDF councilor Manu Jacob thumped the stage as the mayor asked opposition councilors not to talk with pointy fingers, while LDF councilors also stood in his support.
The situation was lightened when the mayor explained that none of the 72 councilors had taken bribes from the construction firm, and that he had full confidence in the chairman of the Public Works Standing Committee from the UDF.
Leader of the Opposition Antony Kurithara alleged that each work in the complex was estimated at less than ₹ 2 crore and files were prepared accordingly to obtain administrative approval from the government. Shri Kurithara demanded clarity and transparency in the work. Similar demands were made by other councilors of the UDF as well. Public Works Standing Committee chairperson Sunita Dixon also demanded a postponement of the agenda.
Mr. Anilkumar said that the corporation will take this project forward and the changes demanded by the UDF councilors have already been implemented. In the ensuing voting, as demanded by the UDF, all agendas were passed by 36 votes against 24.
Later, Mr. Anil Kumar said that the new campus is the need of the hour, and the work will be completed on time.
Keeping in view the demand of UDF, centralized air conditioning will be done away with in the new building. The construction firm has been asked not to increase the cost. He said the work has been divided to speed up the process.
Mr. Anilkumar said that the opinion of the Indian Institute of Architects was sought before making changes to the building.
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