Kozhikode Corporation to move High Court over stalled works

KOZHIKODE: As the election code of conduct came into effect on March 9 for a period of 74 days, the works in various civic bodies have  come to a standstill. Since the code of conduct coincided with the financial year-ending, the civic bodies couldn't reach agreements with the contractors for works to be finished by the month-end.

This would lead to the lapse of huge amounts of plan fund, according to civic administrators. The code of conduct was a second blow to the civic bodies where  works were at a standstill  for over a month during the same fiscal year in October-November owing to civic polls.

It is learnt that the Kozhikode Corporation is planning to move the High Court for lifting the restrictions over works which have been suspended.  Mayor V.K.C. Mammed Koya said that the civic body was  in trouble  with many works at a standstill. “We have received  legal advice that the works approved by the council cannot be considered as part of code of conduct,” he said.

The corporation will move the court within three days after further legal advice.
Though the mayor and  district panchayat president Babu Parassery  met chief electoral officer E.K. Majhi to relax the code of conduct, it is learnt that the CEO advised them to wait till the code  ends.  

 “If the Election Commission could relax the code  for  March, it would have been a great help for us. Many of the works where tender process is over and only agreement needed to be signed are pending now. We can only do the work of what have already been passed,” said Mr Babu Parassery.  “I think only projects related to drinking water are exempted from the code of conduct where the district collectors can give special permission,” he added.