KOCHI: Even though the district committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI (M) had given its consent to the Kochi Corporation for accepting the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) financial aid for the city, the Corporation will have to wait for the clearance of the party's State committee before moving ahead.

After a series of discussions and debates, the party district committee, which met on Tuesday, had cleared the proposal for accepting the Rs.180-crore assistance to the city. Several party leaders had raised serious apprehensions over the loan conditions and its impact on the city life at the meeting.

The party leaders had made it clear that the district committee gave its assent in the wake of all other Corporations conveying their decision to accept the loan. The party's State secretary had also made his stand clear on the loan issue.

Mayor Mercy Williams has written a letter to the secretary of the Local Administration Department requesting extension of deadline for conveying the Corporation's stand on the loan issue. The Department had directed the civic authorities to take a decision on availing of the loan before February 15. The four municipal Corporations of the State had earlier conveyed their willingness to accept the ADB aid for infrastructure projects.

The CPI (M) district leadership has scheduled the meeting of the CPI (M) councillors of the Corporation on February 18, after the party State Committee meeting, which is scheduled to begin on February 16. The party district leadership had earlier approached the State committee for guidance on several contentious issues related to the ADB aid.

Before taking a decision on the Corporation availing of the ADB loan, the party will have to take into account issues such as entrusting the water supply projects to the Kerala Water Authority and priority projects of the Kochi Corporation, said a party councillor and district leader.

The CPI(M) leadership of the Corporation will also have to get the proposal cleared in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) parliamentary party meeting where the proposal is likely to be opposed by the representatives of the Communist Party of India (CPI).

With the CPI State leadership making its opposition to the loan conditions public, the party councillors will oppose the proposal when it comes up for discussion in the council. If the ADB issue comes up for voting in the council, the CPI will walk out of the meeting, CPI leaders said.

AIYF, the youth wing of the party and Yuvajana Vedi have announced mass conventions and agitations in front of the Corporation council, when the civic body considers the loan proposal for decision.

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