The Kozhikode Corporation council on Tuesday passed the list of individual beneficiaries of various schemes of the Corporation for the year 2014-15, amidst strong protests from the opposition on grounds that there was lack of clarity regarding the implementation of the schemes.
The opposition councillors pointed out that various schemes passed the previous year have not yet been properly implemented.
Councillor K. Balagopalan of Congress said that a large number of beneficiaries of last year’s scheme to encourage chicken farming have not received the hens promised to them. Councillor N.C. Moin kutty of the SJ(D) alleged that there were discrepancies in supplying the hens for poultry farming from the Agriculture Department. He said they were sold in the market.
K. Mohemmadali of IUML urged the Mayor to bring the issue to the attention of the State government so that proper investigation is taken up and the guilty punished.
Councillor K.T. Beeran Koya said that last year’s schemes for biogas plants and pipe compost had not yet been completely implemented.
The Mayor said that the allegations would be answered after going through the files.
M. Mohanan of CPI(M) criticised the opposition for opposing any developmental issue that is brought up in the council. However, Mr. Mohemmadali said that pointing out mistakes is part of the democratic set-up.
Meanwhile, some councillors also alleged that they were given no information regarding the number of applications received or how many have been accepted. Councillor P. Kishenchand of SJ(D) pointed out that the implementing officers failed to report for a meeting that took such a decisive decision. Councillor C.S. Sathyabhama of Congress pointed out that the councillors did not get enough application forms to be distributed among the public to apply for the benefits.
The council passed the list of beneficiaries for around 40 projects including supplying free vegetable kits, schemes to encourage plantain farming, kitchen garden development, cattle farming, goat farming, rabbit farming, protection for pregnant cows, house repair for fishermen, ornamental fish farming, house renovation/ completion of incomplete houses, laptop for SC/ST youth, biogas plant, golden jubilee housing scheme, Kudumbasree food court, Women’s taxi subsidy and Food on Wheels.
