Kerala - Alappuzha   

No-trust motion against LDF in Alappuzha

ALAPPUZHA: United Democratic Front (UDF) councillors in the Alappuzha Municipality have decided to move a no-confidence motion against the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), alleging financial irregularities.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, UDF Municipal Council parliamentary party leader and District Congress Committee president A.A. Shukoor said the UDF was “forced” to move the no-confidence motion because of the “illegal and corrupt behaviour” of the LDF, led by Municipal Chairman P.P. Chitharanjan.

Mr. Shukoor alleged that the LDF regime had committed financial irregularities in three major projects of the municipality. These include the modern abattoir project, a solid waste treatment plant project and the renovation project for the Municipal Town Hall. The projects are yet to be completed.

Mr. Chitharanjan’s recent statement that Rs.38 lakh was spent on the modern abattoir was misleading, Mr. Shukoor said.

He quoted official accounts indicating that nearly Rs.70 lakh had been spent on the project on various pretexts.

In the construction of the Rs.3.7-crore solid waste treatment plant, more than Rs.2.5 crore has been spent even as 40 per cent of the work remains to be completed. Two fake files were created to siphon off funds in the name of the treatment plant, Mr. Shukoor alleged.

He also questioned the future of the project as the Clean Kerala Mission had withdrawn from monitoring the project saying that “the project was impractical”.

The Andhra Pradesh Technology Development and Promotion Centre (APTDC), with which an agreement was signed for constructing the plant, had also withdrawn from construction projects. Nearly Rs.2 crore was spent already on the renovation of the Town Hall, but the venue was yet to be opened to the public, he said.

In the 50-seat council, the LDF has 23 councillors and the UDF has 21.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has four councillors while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have one each.

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