KOCHI: The negotiation meeting with the representatives of Kochi Corporation Contr-actors Association (KCCA) convened by Mayor Soumini Jain on Saturday failed to reach on a consensus. The civic contractors lau-nched indefinite strike fr-om April 13 over non-payment of arrears.
As the talks failed, the emergency pre-monsoon cleaning of drains and canals may not be completed before rains. As summer rains have begun, drains and canals have to be de-silted without delay unless which the city areas will be flooded.
According to the KCCA, the civic body owes Rs 82 crore to them as bill dues since February 2017.
During the meeting the Association representatives demanded that bill dues up to December 2017 should be cleared. However, the Mayor was not willing and agreed to clear arrears up to April 2017, which was not acceptable for the contractors. The contractors were ready to withdraw strike if payment up to June is cleared. But Ms. Jain didn’t agree with the condition. Hence the KCCA has decided to continue with the strike.
Meanwhile, the mayor said that the contractors were putting pressure on the corporation. The civic body has other emergency payments like daily labo-urers’ wages and mandatory remittances to the government. Corporation can’t sanction the amount at a single stretch. This council has sanctioned `157 crore in three years of time,” she said.
Deputy Mayor T.J. Vinod, Works Committee chairman P. M Haris, corporation officials, KCCA representatives M.J. Simon, M.R. Vinu, A.K. Anoop Kumar and K. A. Moosa also attended.
The association will convene a meeting on Monday to finalise the future cour-se of protest programmes.
