The Hindu : Kerala News : Civic body joins issue with KWA

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

Civic body joins issue with KWA

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: The Kochi Corporation has complained to the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) against the "inadequate" representation of people's representatives at the commissioning of the Zone-e of the DFID-assisted water supply augmentation scheme for West Kochi proposed to be held on Wednesday.

"The representation of the Kochi Corporation has been limited to an invitation extended to the Mayor to speak at the function. This cannot be justified, as the Corporation is repaying the loan taken for the project, said C.K. Manisankar, Deputy Mayor of Kochi Corporation.

Though the civic authorities had planned to organise a people's commissioning of the project before the official function, they dropped the idea and decided to voice their protest at an appropriate fora.

Besides the Mayor, seven Corporation councillors have been invited to the function. The Mayor is one among the four key speakers at the function.

The other key speakers include Dominic Presentation, Fisheries Minister; Sebastian Paul, MP and A.P.M. Mohammad Hanish, District Collector.

He said the KWA authorities had not extended invitations to the three Standing Committee chairmen of the Corporation from West Kochi area.

Mr. Manisankar said the Mayor should have been made the chairperson of the function. In this case, the Industries Minister will preside over the function and the Water Resources Minister will commission the project, he said.

The delay in completing the water supply project by the KWA had earlier invited the wrath of the Corporation.

Government letter

Recently, the civic authorities received a letter from the State Government directing the Corporation to pay Rs.84 crores in five years, including the interest for the Rs.66 crores it received from the DFID for the project.

Though the Corporation is not in a position to repay the amount, the civic authorities fear that the State Government will cut the Plan fund allotted to the civic body to realise the amount.

Recently, the State Government deducted Rs. 1.67 crore from the Rs. 7.48 crore maintenance grant allotted to the Corporation on account of the water charge for the drinking water supplied through the public taps in the Corporation area, said Mr. Manisankar.

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