Uproar in Kozhikode Corporation Council over appointment of temporary sanitation workers

A meeting of the Kozhikode Corporation council held on Wednesday ended up in noisy scenes after Opposition members accused the authorities of facilitating “backdoor entry” of those close to the ruling party in the name of appointing temporary sanitation workers.

The members of the United Democratic Front (UDF) carried banners that read “CPI(M) office is not an employment office, stop backdoor entry”. Deputy Mayor C.P. Musafar Ahmed, who was in the chair, however, passed as many as 246 items on the agenda in around six minutes without any discussions during the melee. Members of the BJP protested against this as well.

In item number 22 on the agenda, the Corporation had proposed to appoint 235 sanitation workers in the city on a temporary basis. This was to avoid any crisis in the sanitation work and waste management if permanent employees go on leave or retire from service. However, members of the UDF and BJP alleged that the list of employees was prepared from the CPI(M) district committee office and that only party members were included in it.

UDF leaders K.C. Shobitha and K. Moideen Koya expressed their dissent. This was followed by Congress members reaching near the dais of the Mayor carrying the banner. Mr. Ahamed asked them to not cover the dais and stage the protest elsewhere. After Congress members ignored the demand, ruling party members tried to push them back. This led to a scuffle between the two groups. Meanwhile, Mr. Ahamed declared that all the items listed in the agenda had been passed. The ruling party members raised slogans in support of this. BJP members, however, tore up the agenda to register their protest. A protest march was also taken out.