KOCHI: With only three weeks being left for the Maha Sivarathri celebrations to be held at Aluva manappuram, a tussle is going on between Aluva municipality, Travancore Devaswom Board and the district administration on the authority over the sand bank (manappuram). District collector Muhammed Y. Safirulla has issued a circular to the municipality saying that his permission is needed for auctioning off the space at the manappuram to private parties to set up stalls for Sivarathri. But the municipality is going ahead without seeking his permission.
Aluva municipal chairperson Lissy Abraham said that though a case was pending in the Kerala High Court in this regard, the Travancore Devaswom Board was involved in making arrangements on the Periyar banks. "The case was filed by the TDB claiming the right over the manappuram and since no final decision has been taken on the petition, we also have the right to operate on the banks and auction off the stalls. The process has begun and is not completed yet. A special council meeting was convened on Tuesday to discuss the issue and we will inform the collector of our stand," Ms Lissy Abraham told DC.
The government itself had reversed its earlier order vesting the authority over river banks with the state government and restored the same with local bodies, she said. "Aluva municipality has been holding charge of the manappuram for nearly 100 years. We have been making all arrangements for Sivarathri celebrations over these years and this year too we have earmarked Rs 1 crore for the purpose. No one else is contributing so much for the conduct of one of the biggest celebrations of Aluva," Ms Lissy Abraham said.
