Chaos prevailed at the City Corporation Council meeting here on Thursday after United Democratic Front (UDF) councillor K. Muhammedali accused Deputy Mayor P.T. Abdul Latheef and Works standing committee chairperson M. Mohanan of accepting bribe for allowing illegal advertisement hoardings in the city.
Calling attention towards the reappearance of hoardings at Kelappaji Park, near the English Church junction, Mr. K. Muhammedali said that the hoardings set up as part of the Blooming Calicut project were removed after the licence expired, but had reappeared despite the council’s decision against it. He alleged that the advertisement agency concerned had donated Rs.5 lakh to the party fund of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] through Prof. Latheef and Mr. Mohanan. The allegation led to heated arguments between the UDF and Left Democratic Front councillors.
The Corporation Secretary said that the file for the particular case was not available as it was with the Vigilance investigators. The Mayor asked the Secretary to study the issue and verify if there was a council decision favouring the advertisers.
Another calling attention motion by UDF councillor C.P. Salim on drinking-water shortage faced by several areas despite a drinking-water project for BPL card-holders also led to heated exchanges. Decision had not been taken even on applications submitted two years ago. He demanded immediate decision on the applications. T.P. Koya Moideen of the CPI(M) called attention towards the issue of low-quality food grains being supplied to Anganwadis while P. Usha Devi of the Congress said that many who had applied for old-age pension had not received the same even after two years.
The Council passed a 92-point agenda, except three. It also passed three resolutions unanimously, one by M. Radhakrishnan of the CPI(M) demanding the State government’s intervention to save the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, another by O.M. Bharadwaj of the CPI(M) demanding action against mafia gangs in the city, and yet another by K. Sathyanathan of the Congress demanding that the engineering and town planning sections of the Corporation be bifurcated for the convenience of the councillors.
