The Corporation council has decided to reinstate health officer A. Sasikumar, who was suspended a month ago for allegedly not bringing to the attention of the higher authorities a notice issued by the Pollution Control Board to the civic body and for misleading the council. Mayor K. Sreekumar announced the decision at the end of a long, heated debate in which the opposition BJP and UDF said the official was made a scapegoat.
The PCB had in September issued a show cause notice to the Corporation accusing it of failing to comply with the Solid Waste Management rules of 2016, and slapped an environmental compensation of ₹14.59 crore. It had asked the civic body to submit an explanation within 15 days as to why the compensation should not be recovered from it.
The communication regarding this, addressed to the Secretary, had reached the Corporation on September 28. The health officer had, without consulting the Secretary, Mayor or the Health standing committee chairman, written a note on it and sent it to the section clerk. The letter remained there without any action being taken on it.
‘To shield ex-Mayor’
BJP councillor M.R. Gopan said that the decision to suspend him was not placed for the council’s clearance, hence it was not fit that the decision to reinstate him was being brought to the council. He said that the action was taken to shield the former Mayor during the campaigning for the Vattiyurkavu byelections.
UDF councillor Beemapally Rashid said that all the documents, including the acknowledgement letter, should be produced in the council.
With the BJP councillors targeting Corporation Secretary L.S. Deepa over the issue, the LDF councillors staunchly defended her. Deputy Mayor Rakhi Ravikumar said that the Secretary had worked sincerely through her tenure, aiding in increasing the Corporation’s revenue and in framing important bylaws.
The Mayor said the action against the official was taken over negligence on this specific issue Though the BJP councillors demanded that the decision to reinstate him be put to vote, the agenda was passed as the UDF councillors took a step back and sat down after initial protests.
