The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has clarified that the civic body will not charge any rental fee for using the Saraswati Mandapam at Poojappura as part of the Navaratri festival. Councillors of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday staged a protest in the Corporation Secretary’s office against an alleged move to charge fees for the use of the mandapam.
In a statement, Mayor Arya Rajendran said the Corporation had earlier issued directions to the officials to provide the mandapam for free to the committee organising the festival, as had been the practice till now. The Corporation had on September 10 convened a meeting of various departments to ensure smooth conduct of the Navaratri festival.
Ms. Rajendran accused a section of attempting to mislead the public by spreading misinformation regarding the issue and staging protests based on it.
Published - September 18, 2024 08:14 pm IST
