The Opposition parties led by the CPI(M) in the Kochi Corporation on Tuesday held the Congress-led ruling front responsible for the rising mosquito menace in the city and took to task the ruling members on the issue of the missing vehicles from the Corporation.
The Opposition brought a mosquito spray into the Council Hall and questioned the non-utilisation of mosquito eradication chemicals that had been bought using tax payers’ money.
Oppostion leader K.J. Antony said that the Opposition would conduct a mosquito eradication drive.
Using hand sprayers, the Opposition, with help from NGOs and locals, would spray the drugs at vantage points, said Mr. Antony.
If fogging is not done on time in a systematic manner, the eradication drive will have little effect, he said. Mosquitoes can be controlled from breeding further only with timely action, he added.
Mr. Antony called for the Mayor’s resignation saying she had failed to perform her duties. “It is a shame that the Corporation had failed to provide even hand sprayers or fogging machines to the 22 heath circles in the Corporation.”
Missing vehicles
Taking to task the ruling party on the issue of the missing vehicles in the Corporation, councillor V.P. Chandran said there are anomalies in the number of vehicles registered with the Ernakulam RTO against the Corporation and the number of vehicles claimed by the Corporation as owned. Mr. Chandran submitted a report obtained from the RTO which says there are 266 vehicles registered with the Corporation. However, he said the report by the Corporation had said that there were 155 vehicles, of which 95 are in workshops for repairs. The Opposition asked the Mayor to entrust the police to find the missing vehicles.
While Deputy Mayor T.J. Vinod told the council that some vehicles were sold, Opposition members retorted that in that case, why the registration was not changed. They alleged that vehicle sale probably was not transparent and hence the registration remained unchanged.
