The tender document for entrusting the operation of the waste treatment plant of the Kochi Corporation at Brahmapruam with a private firm has been accepted as no councillor recorded objection to the agenda, which was considered by the council the other day.
When the agenda came up for consideration on Monday, the CPI councillors, including the Deputy Mayor, had walked out of the meeting recording their protest in awarding the contract to the firm. They had also expressed doubts over the credibility of the firm and the authenticity of its claims regarding waste management. The UDF councillors had also walked out of the meeting.
The agenda was considered as passed as no one filed any objection to it 48 hours after it was considered by the Kochi Corporation council, said a statement issued by Mayor M. Anilkumar.
He also added that the UDF councillors had given a letter asking the administration to accept the agenda. Hence the agenda permitting the new firm to run the plant will be deemed accepted. The existing plant was being operated for the past 10 years without inviting bids, he said in the statement.
Making light of the open dissent of the CPI, one of the constituents of the LDF, Mr. Anilkumar said there was no political difference of opinion between the CPI(M) and the CPI in the Kochi Cooperation council. Every political party and the councillor have the right to record their views on the files considered at the council meeting. Barring the four councillors of the CPI, all were of the view that the tender shall be accepted. The Mayor had also requested the CPI councillors to withdraw their decision to record their dissent, he said.
Mr. Anilkumar said the CPI councillors had earlier too expressed their reservations regarding the tender floated by the Kochi Corporation. A legal opinion was also sought on the file as differences of opinion had cropped up among the councillors, he said.
Accepting the plea of the Mayor, the CPI councillors withdrew their decision to register their dissent, he said.
The Mayor also thanked the CPI councillors for cooperating with the council decision in passing the agenda.
