The controversy over concessions offered to the city gas project in Kochi has taken a new turn with Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala urging the State government to roll back its decision.
The State government had directed the Kochi Corporation to lower the road restoration charges suggested by the civic body. However, the civic authorities said the decision would lead to poor quality restoration work besides leading to revenue loss.
Joining issue, the Opposition leader wrote a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asking him to revisit the decision.
The civic body had fixed ₹5,930 as the restoration charges for a square metre of road.
However, the government had lowered it to ₹3,686, which would result in huge revenue loss to the local body and financial gain for the private company, he said.
Objections overlooked
Moreover, the government had waived the deposit money, which was fixed as ₹30 lakh for a kilometre, overlooking the objections of the local body.
The rate prescribed by the State government would be insufficient for reconstructing the road laid recently.
“The UDF is of the view that the city gas project, which is a brainchild of the front, should be completed at the earliest. At the same time, the attempt to relax the rules and allow corporate companies to make undue gains at the expense of the civic body was unacceptable,” he said.
The intervention of the Opposition leader comes at time when the civic body is all set to send an all-party delegation to the Chief Minister.
Earlier, the Chief Minister refused to accept the views of the civic body and insisted on passing on the benefits to the private firm when a delegation from the civic body met him in Thiruvananthapuram.
