Mayor blames Kerala government

The Mayor said the post of COs became irrelevant from 2008 as the Kudumbasree had elected COs from the outfit itself.

Mayor A.K. Premajam said that she was helpless in the issue of the Community Organisers. “They certainly deserve better treatment. However, the State government has to decide. All the Corporation council can do is to appeal to the State government,” the Mayor told reporters here on Saturday after she retired to her chamber after the dramatic scenes during the council meeting.

The Mayor said the post of COs became irrelevant from 2008 as the Kudumbasree had elected COs from the outfit itself. When the COs were appointed initially, the government order stated that they would be given alternative posts eventually.

But there were no subsequent orders to the effect. The Corporation recommended to the State government that they be given permanent posts, but the petition was declined.

Later when there were 100 vacancies for contingency workers, the Corporation tried to include the COs on the list, but that too was denied.

In 2012, the Corporation secretary once again wrote to the Secretary of the Department of Local Self Government Institutions demanding permanent postings to the COs. But the reply was that the demand could not be met as there were no vacancies, the Mayor added.

Prof. Premajam brushed aside the Opposition’s arguments that a decent pay for the COs was agreed upon.