Mayor, team fail to meet CM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Seeking a solution to the never-ending garbage problem, a team from the City Corporation led by Mayor K Chandrika submitted a memorandum to the Urban Affairs Minister P K Kunhalikutty on Tuesday at his chamber. The team members, comprising UDF and BJP members of the Council too, demanded the opening of the Vilappilsala waste treatment plant in the wake of the High Court order.  Though the Minister remained non-committal regarding the opening of the plant, he said that the Government was thinking of alternatives to solid waste management. The Government would also provide subsidies to those who go in for the decentralised waste management programme of the Corporation, he promised.  The Corporation team left the Minister’s chamber and waited at the Chief Minister’s chamber for nearly an hour to meet him in person. The CM, who was busy throughout the day with meetings, however, did not turn up. The team included UDF’s Harikumar and BJP’s Asokkumar, along with LDF members G Happykumar, Deputy Mayor; Pushpalatha, Health Standing Committee Chairperson and V S Padmakumar, Works Standing Committee Chairman.  Meanwhile, the Mayor said that the non-committal attitude of the Minister was disappointing. She also accused the Suchitwa Mission of trying to sabotage the only solution to the existing problem - the decentralised waste management programme.  The Corporation had shortlisted five agencies to set up biowaste plants in wards offering them subsidy of Rs 3,500 per plant. However, the Government had offered to give exclusion to the agencies meant to give them a fillip. But the agencies who had started work in Muttada ward dropped the work halfway expecting the government order announcing the subsidy rates to come out.  ‘’The government order is yet to come out, so our works have not kicked off. In the case of ring-compost also, the Mission and the Government had initially stood for open tenders, which would delay the project. We took a firm stand and the Council decided to opt for COSTFORD, which is an accredited agency. So, at least the ring-compost project would start soon,’’ said the Mayor.