Kochi Corporation nod to Brahmapuram plant
Despite protest from LDF councillors who wanted special session to discuss
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-11-06 04:49 GMT
KOCHI: The Kochi Corporation approved the proposal for a new waste-to- energy plant at Brahmapuram on Wednesday. A meeting of the corporation council okayed the proposal through voting despite strong resistance from LDF councillors.
Though the proposal was on the agenda at the council meeting, the opposition demanded a special session to discuss it in detail before giving the final approval. However, Mayor Tony Chammany asserted that the plan was to be approved without delay and turned down the demand for a separate session.
The decision to pass the plan came after more than three hours of gruelling discussions on the project. During the voting, 18 councillors objected to the proposal.
LDF councillors alleged that the Mayor has been taking decisions unilaterally without consulting opposition members. “The proposal for a new plant at Brahmapuram was directly referred to the council meeting without discussing it in health standing committee. And the councillors have no clarity about the technical and financial feasibility of the plant. It is not right on the part of the Mayor to take hasty decision in this regard,” said K.J Jacob, opposition leader in the council.
Meanwhile, Chammany said councillors could consult experts of KITCO and Suchitwa Mission who are in the city on the technical and financial feasibility of the project. KITCO has prepared the project report and also identified two agencies to set up the plant while Suchitwa Mission will implement it on PPP basis.
The council meeting also discussed complaints against the removal of authorised hoardings in the city as part of the flex removal drive and issues in Clean Kochi Mission. M.P Mahesh Kumar, Adv. N.A Shafeeq, K.N Sunil Kumar, K.R Prem Kumar, C. A Shakeer, Benedict Fernandez and P.R Ranish participated in the debate.