The city Corporation has sought legal opinion on the implications of entering into an agreement with the private firm roped in by the government to establish a 35-tonne solid waste treatment plant at Chala, Mayor K. Chandrika informed the council on Monday. As per the formal agreement between the government and the private company, the Corporation had to supply solid waste after entering into a tripartite agreement, she said.
The council had already passed a resolution expressing its willingness to supply waste on a daily basis. But before entering into a tripartite agreement, the Corporation had to examine the pros and cons, particularly in the wake of reports questioning credentials of the company. Also, it was understood that there were clauses in the agreement that were detrimental to the interest of the civic body, she said.
“The agreement had been referred to the Corporation’s standing counsel in the High Court. The counsel has sought time to study the voluminous report. Based on his opinion, a decision will be taken on signing the agreement,” she said.
Raising the issue at the council meeting, Congress member Maheswaran Nair said the Corporation was trying to scuttle the project. The member recalled the statement made by Minister for Urban Affairs Manjalamkuzhi Ali on the floor of the Assembly that delay on the part of civic body in signing the supply agreement was one of the reasons for the project not taking off.
Plan fund utilisation
The council also passed a resolution urging the State government to fix 60 per cent as ceiling for spending the plan fund. Moving the resolution, the Mayor said during the current fiscal the civic body had earmarked Rs.268.55 crore for taking up various development work, but the money could not be utilised due to various reasons. Underutilisation of plan fund could stand in the way of getting more State share during the next financial year, she said.
The meeting saw the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) members entering into heated exchanges on issues pertaining to disparity in allocation of develop funds to wards.
