Row over youth fest venue in Kozhikode

KOZHIKODE: The State Government’s decision  to opt for Mananchira Square, the most endearing green cover in the heart of Kozhikode city as the main venue for this year’s State youth festival, has triggered off a political row with the LDF-ruled Corporation Council coming out against Education Minister P.K.Abdu Rabb.

Mayor A.K.Premajam had earlier unleashed a volley of criticism against Rabb for shifting the festival from Kochi to Kozhikode without discussing the matter with the  Corporation.

The minister had declared on Monday that Mananchira Square would be the main venue.

“We have made no such commitment”, said the Mayor. “I don’t know why the State Government took such a foolish decision without considering the opinion of the local administration”, she said, adding that the ulterior motive was to ensure that the chairmanship of the organizing committee stayed with the UDF, as Mananchira Square fell in the Kozhikode South legislative constituency.

“If Swapna Nagari had been selected, A.Pradeep Kumar, MLA, of the CPM would become the chairman of the festival organizing committee which the UDF wanted to prevent”, she pointed out.

Earlier, the Mayor had expressed her displeasure over shifting the venue to Kozhikode at the last moment without giving the civic body sufficient time to prepare for such a mega event.

A.Pradeep Kumar, MLA, said there was something fishy in the decision. “People with commonsense will never opt for Mananchira which is in the heart of an already suffocating city”, he said.

However, amid mounting pressure Minister for Social Welfare M.K.Muneer said the Government was yet to finalize the main venue. “We will revise the decision if it’s necessary”, he said.