An emergency meeting of the city Corporation council convened on Tuesday to approve the plan fund for 2013-14 witnessed unruly scenes over the death of a woman after falling into an open drain in the city on Saturday.
The councillors of both parties pushed and shoved each other on the floor over the Opposition’s demand for a discussion on the accident. The project plan for the year was passed without any discussion in the ensuing melee.
The Corporation also decided to wait till the State government’s word on the compensation to be given to the family of the accident victim.
The proceedings of the day started with the Opposition councillors demanding a discussion on the issue of unsafe footpaths in the city in view of the woman’s death. However, the Mayor said the plan fund had to be discussed first and any other matter could be discussed afterwards. The Opposition stuck on its stand and insisted of having the discussion on the accident first. The ruling party councillors accused them of deliberately scuttling discussion on the plan fund.
“The activities to chalk out the projects for the year need to be finished before May 31. This protest of the Opposition seems to be with an intention to delay the approval of plan fund,” LDF councillor M. Radhakrishnan said.
The Opposition councillors protested against this remark.
The arguments became more animated with the arrival of television channel cameras. Soon, the councillors from both sides rushed to the floor and started a heated argument that led to mild pushing and shoving.
The council was suspended for 15 minutes and later re-convened following a discussion between the party leaders. The arguments continued even after this and the plan fund was presented in the council by Anitha Rajan, chairperson of the Standing Committee on Development. The plan, which was supposed to be discussed the entire day, was passed in less than a minute amidst loud scenes.
Emergency meeting
The council was suspended and another emergency council meeting was convened after half an hour to discuss the issue of the woman’s death in the open drain.
O. Sadasivan of the LDF said it was not right on the part of the Opposition to accuse the Corporation of being responsible for the woman’s death.
“The road in front of the PVS hospital, where the accident happened, is with the Public Works Department (PWD) now as per a government order in 2012. The department has not handed over the control of the road to the Corporation after the maintenance work. The responsibility of laying slabs on the road also rests with the PWD,” said Mr. Sadasivan.
Responding to this, Sakaria P. Hussain of the Congress asked why the Corporation did not do anything before handing over the road to the PWD. He accused the ruling party of running away from its responsibilities and of being insensitive to the death of the woman.
Janamma Kunjunni, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Health, asked the Opposition why the State government has not allowed any discussion on the infant deaths in Attappady.
K.T. Beerankoya of the Indian Union Muslim League demanded that the Corporation give a compensation of Rs.25 lakh to the family of the deceased woman.
The two-hour discussion ended without taking any concrete decision on the issue of the missing slabs.
