The tussle between the Left Democratic Front and civic bodies led by the the United Democratic Front - Kannur Municipal Corporation and three panchayats - has intensified in the district. The bone of contention is alleged deficiencies in COVID management by the civic bodies.
The LDF is organising protests on Tuesday at 250 centres in Kannur Corporation, 21 centres in Kadampur, 15 centres in Valapattanam, and 17 centres in Ayyankunnu.
CPI(M) district secretary M.V. Jayarajan said that the LDF had decided to organise the protest demanding opening of community kitchens, provision of essential services to guest workers and in-patients, delivery of essential items, including medicines, to the public through home delivery, and ending the alleged discrimination in the issuance of passes and taking up of pre-monsoon cleaning activities.
He said that the protest would involve LDF MPs and the party activists and it would be organised in conformity with COVID-19 protocol. Only five participants would assemble together for the protest.
Under the leadership of corporation Mayor T.O. Mohanan and governing councils of Kadambur and Valapattanam panchayats, there were efforts to sabotage COVID-19 relief activities of the State government, alleged Mr. Jayarjan
He said that there should be no politics in COVID mitigation activities but the Mayor was playing a political game.
He criticised the corporation for issuing notice to the Kannur District Panchayat to pay property tax. Under Section 235H of the Kerala Municipality Act, all buildings owned by local bodies and buildings handed over to the government by the local bodies were exempt from property tax, he said. The notice was issued without considering that, he said.
However, the Mayor said that the allegation raised by the CPI(M) leader was aimed at belittle the works carried out by the corporation. He said that the efforts of the corporation had kept the COVID-19 cases low when compared with other corporations in the State.
