The issue of the Corporation Mayor filing a police complaint against an opposition councillor for allegedly demolishing a house in his ward snowballed into a confrontation between the two parties with the councillors of the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) staging a sit-in at the Mayor’s office on Tuesday. The issue was resolved later in the day after a joint letter by both parties was forwarded to the Commissioner, absolving the councillor of any involvement in the demolition.
On Friday, Yesudasan, a resident of the Valiyathura ward had filed a complaint to the Mayor accusing the ward councillor Tony Oliver of demolishing his house without providing any notice. He had provided video evidence of his house being brought down using a JCB.
But the councillor maintained that the complainant had already been given another house under the Tsunami Rehabilitation Programme.
“He was given a house under the programme and he is currently staying there with his parents. But he gave the original house on lease to a third party to stop the demolition. All the owners of the other houses shifted to their new houses allowing for demolition. His was the one remaining there and this was holding up the development of the road, the funds for which lapse this March. The residents there joined together and demolished the house. I was not even present there,” said Mr. Tony.
The opposition councillors staged a sit-in at the Mayor’s office in the morning, even though the Mayor was not present inside, demanding the withdrawal of the police complaint.
In the afternoon, a meeting of both parties was convened and it was decided to send a joint letter, signed by the Mayor, to withdraw the complaint, in view of the facts which came to light.
