High drama at Trikkakkara Municipal Office over 'cash gift'
The Hindu
The Trikkakkara Municipal Office witnessed high drama on Friday as Opposition councillors staged a sit-in before the council hall, protesting against the alleged handing over of ₹10,000 'cash gift
The Trikkakkara Municipal Office witnessed high drama on Friday as Opposition councillors staged a sit-in before the council hall, protesting against the alleged handing over of ₹10,000 'cash gift' to each councillor along with 'Onakkodi', while the Municipal Chairperson Ajitha Thankappan claimed the council meeting that was held at her chamber discussed funds disbursal under the peoples-plan programme, as had been listed in the day's agenda. Ms. Thankappan arrived with police protection to chair the council meeting. With Opposition LDF councillors protesting outside the council hall, she was escorted to her chamber, where she was joined by UDF councillors. She made it clear that she would not quit her post. In the meantime, members of the Opposition said the council meeting in question was not legal, since the municipal secretary, who ought to record the minutes, was not present. Ms Thankappan said the secretary who was unwell had deputed an assistant executive engineer of the muncipality to be present at the meeting.A crowd comprising farmers, researchers, professors, students, and horticulture enthusiasts thronged the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru, on Friday for the inaugural ceremony of the Triphal Diversity Show which showcased 300 mango, 100 jackfruit, and 100 banana genotypes in collaboration with ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli.
The State government on Friday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Additional Director-General of Police, Manish Kharbikar of the Economic Offences division of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe the alleged multi-crore scam in the government-run Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.