: The Kozhikode Municipal Corporation Council accorded a fond farewell to V.K.C. Mammad Koya, who resigned as the Mayor as well as a member of the council on Friday to take up his new responsibility as a legislator.
Mr. Koya won from the Beypore Assembly constituency on a CPI(M) ticket. At the farewell and felicitation meeting held on Friday, his fellow councillors wished him well.
In his farewell speech, the Mayor said he would be part of the Corporation’s functioning to some extent as a member of the Corporation’s consultative committee in his capacity as an MLA and former Mayor. Having experienced first-hand the problems faced by the Corporation, Mr. Koya said one of his priority areas as the local MLA would be to facilitate the smooth functioning of the Corporation. He promised to address issues such as frequent transfers, staff crunch and funds crunch faced by the Corporation.
Before handing over his resignation to Corporation secretary T.P. Satheeshan, the MLA-elect took the opportunity to lash out at officials who allegedly faced corruption charges. He said corruption was a major hindrance to carrying out the day-to-day activities of the Corporation. Without naming anyone in particular, he said non-corrupt officials were an asset to any organisation and explained how a few such officials had helped him carry out his duty as a panchayat president earlier. He had a lighter moment with the fellow councillors when he said small quarrels inside the council were taken in a sportive spirit.
