Thiruvananthapuram Corpn. council rejects demand for Vigilance probe

Expenditure for cleaning activities as part of Attukal Pongala

After a couple of hours of stormy debates, the city Corporation council on Thursday rejected a demand for a Vigilance inquiry into the expenditure for the civic body’s cleaning activities as part of Attukal Pongala. The demand was rejected by 54 votes to 33, with the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) getting the support of three Independent councillors. With the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) councillors trooping into the well with placards during voting, only the 33 councillors of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) voted for the demand. The special council meeting was held following the BJP’s demand for a discussion on its allegations of corruption in sanitation activities held as part of Attukal Pongala this year. BJP councillor M.R. Gopan, who opened the debate, said that this was the first time that the expenses for Pongala cleaning, which did not take place, was being brought to the council.