KOCHI: The running battle between the Kochi Corporation and CPM leadership in the district intensified on Tuesday with the CPM district secretary P. Rajeev accusing mayor Soumini Jain of sabotaging the City Gas project with deliberate intention. According to Mr Rajeev, the corporation has been insisting on special rate for road cutting charges higher than that fixed by the public works department with the sole intention of putting a spoke on the project, hailed by many as the most important project for city dwellers after the Kochi Metro. The city gas project is promoted by a joint venture between IOC and the Adani Group.
Describing the all-party meeting convened by the corporation in the matter as just an eyewash, Mr Rajeev said the Kalamasserry municipality ruled by the Congress and the Thrikkakkara municipality with the UDF and the LDF in equal strength allowed road cutting under the PWD rates. “All local bodies in the state collect the PWD rates as road cutting charges and only Kochi Corporation has raised objection,” he said. The CPM leader also mentioned that the PWD rate for road cutting is measured in square metre even if the actual cutting is undertaken only in square feet of area. The CPM leader also said that the mayor has not extended a proper invitation for the CPM to attend the all-party meeting.
K.V. Thomas had informed the CPM district leadership that a meeting will be convened in the matter on September 11. But this meeting was cancelled abruptly by the mayor unilaterally. The decision to convene another meeting was conveyed to the party office by an unknown person on September 24, while the entire leadership was busy with the three-day conference South Asian Communist parties. “The mayor seems to be under the impression that everyone else is her janitors,” said the CPM leader.
