Kochi: Under attack for its failure to deal with the mosquito menace, the city corporation has decided to allocate Rs 50, 000 for emergency vector control measures and resume centralised fogging in all divisions on a war footing in Kochi.
Mayor Tony Chammany’s assurance at the corporation council meeting on Thursday came in response to a unique protest by opposition councillors, who sat inside mosquito nets and held placards to strongly protest the lack of action by the city administration to contain the mosquito problem.
Unhappy with the reply given by health committee chairman, T.K Ashraf, they shouted slogans and demanded more action. CPM councilor, M.P Mahesh Kumar deplored that even the spraying machines bought recently were not in working order.
Promising action, the Mayor said a 15- member team from every health circle would work on getting rid of mosquitoes in each division.
A meeting would be convened in all health circles to chalk out a plan to carry out the vector control drive, he assured.
But maintaining that the health wing alone could not tackle the problem, he said people’s participation and support of NGOs and residents’ associations was equally important.
Meanwhile, replying to the debate on the controversial DLF apartments, built in violation of coastal regulation zone norms at Chelavannur, Mr. Chammany said necessary action would be taken against the builder after taking legal opinion in the matter.
“We have not yet got a copy of the high court order allowing demolition of the structure. Once we get it,we will discuss it at a steering committee meeting and decide on the action we need to take ,” he said. The Mayor denied that he was using the verdict to malign the previous CPM -led council.
‘No loss to corp exchequer’
CPM councilors, who alleged that the corporation exchequer had suffered a huge loss by allowing business conglomerate, Reliance to cut 106 kms of city roads for laying of 4 G cable for a mere Rs 1.25 crore, found an ally in Tax Appeal Committee chairman, Ratnamma Raju, who too shared their concern.
Mr. Chammany, however, clarified that the restoration rates approved by the finance committee, for cutting one kilometre of road was Rs 50, 000 for 2013 - 2014. “Though Reliance had asked for cheaper rates, it has been fixed at '50, 000 a kilometer,” he explained.
