Kochi: A controversy is raging at Aluva Municipality over unauthorised temporary construction of shops the other day by some of the people who had to vacate their original shops for market reconstruction which is delayed over four years. Now Aluva Municipality is in two minds on demolishing them while a rebel section of councillors want to demolish them since they have been constructed without official permission.
“When we had pointed out the unauthorised construction, the municipal secretary issued an order to demolish the structures, but the municipal governing body headed by the municipal chairperson moved to torpedo this pointing out that the shop owners need to be repatriated. Our stand is that the whole lot of shop owners who were once evicted to enable the reconstruction of the market should be repatriated after the reconstruction and there should not be any partiality in this,” said Seby V. Bastin, one among the protesting councilors.
The other councilors who have moved against the Aluva Municipality decision are K. Jayakumar, A.C. Santhosh Kumar and K.V. Sarala. The councilors pointed out that on account of the delay in reconstructing an eco-friendly market, the Municipal council is losing Rs 20 lakh monthly in rent, taxes and fees.
“This is happening at a time when the municipality is struggling to find money to pay the salary of the staff,” said Santhosh Kumar.
“A total of 110 shops were evicted four years ago for the reconstruction of the market and 30 of them were allowed to construct temporary sheds later and six months ago 11 temporary sheds too were granted. However, 10 more temporary sheds came up the other day unauthorisedly and we suspect the silent consent of the Municipal secretary for it who later ordered to demolish it. We suspect the administration is hand in glove with the encroachers. Already those who have constructed temporary shops are minting money by subletting the premises for Rs 1,000 per day per shop. There are ‘several’ beneficiaries of this,” said Seby.
The protesting councilors also held a dharna in front of the office of the municipal chairperson Lissy Abraham demanding to dismantle the unauthorised shops and complete the construction of the market.
