The City Corporation Council on Monday witnessed stormy scenes after councillors of the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) alleged that there was widespread confusion in the preparation of beneficiary lists of various externally funded welfare schemes of the Corporation.
Councillors said that in many wards, the final list approved by the Corporation showed serious deviations from the list approved by ward committees. There were also allegations that some Kudumbasree officials, involved in the implementation of welfare schemes, were making changes in the beneficiary list without the knowledge of ward councillors.
The issue of welfare schemes was raised after welfare standing committee chairman S.A. Sundar moved a resolution to approve the supplementary list of beneficiaries for the Ashraya Project. Opposition councillors Beemapally Basheer and Maheshwaran Nair alleged that even after four years, the Corporation had no idea about the total number of beneficiaries of the housing schemes being implemented by the civic body. Mr. Nair also alleged that the Corporation was trying to implement various housing schemes, including those funded by the Centre, under EMS Housing Scheme.
UDF councillors later staged a walkout protesting against Mayor C. Jayan Babu’s remarks in response to the allegation made by Mr. Nair.
Mr. Sundar said Kudumbasree Area Development Societies (ADS) had been directed to convene at least one meeting every month in the presence of the ward councillor to ensure coordination between Kudumbasree workers and ward councillors in the implementation of welfare schemes.
“As a first step, we directed the ADS panels to conduct one such meeting between October 15 and 30 and submit the minutes of the meeting to the Corporation,” Mr. Sundar said.
The Corporation had also decided to set up new offices for the two Community Development Societies involved in the implementation of the welfare schemes, at the Corporation office and at Chaka, he said.
The Council meeting on Monday also passed a resolution condoling the death of Ambili, 33, who was killed in a scooter accident last week on the Kundamankadavu-Peyad road, dug up for pipe-laying. Mayor C. Jayan Babu said all manholes on the road would be covered by October 20.
