The United Democratic Front (UDF) has fired the first salvo in its bid to reclaim the Kochi Corporation by releasing a ‘chargesheet’ against the Left Democratic Front (LDF), which governed the civic body for the past five years.
Launching a frontal attack on Friday, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the LDF’s tenure had turned the city into a “living hell” by doing precious little on core responsibilities such as mosquito eradication, waterlogging, and waste management.
He claimed that while the Oommen Chandy government had designed projects to address waterlogging, the LDF’s subsequent initiative, Operation Breakthrough, was a colossal failure. The CPI(M) is trying to usurp credit for the Corporation’s new headquarters. The Oommen Chandy government had allotted one-and-a-half acres in the heart of the city for a throwaway sum of ₹1 lakh, and the construction began when K. Babu was Minister.
Mr. Satheesan said the proposal submitted during Tony Chammany’s term as Mayor helped Kochi secure the Cochin Smart City project worth ₹20,000 crore, competing with 600 corporations across the country. The CPI(M) is now hijacking credit for these projects. The UDF implemented a wide range of development initiatives such as the Kaloor stadium, Kochi metro, Kochi airport, and the Goshree bridges.
He asserted that in the upcoming election, the UDF would reclaim the Corporation. He added that along with the chargesheet, the UDF is approaching the public with a slew of dream projects. Kochi will receive special attention under the UDF governance, and the coastal shipping project will be implemented. Kochi still has scope for further development, and the UDF aims to expand the city beyond Greater Kochi. A 400-fold increase in tax revenue is being targeted through the growth of the State’s commercial hub, Mr. Satheesan said.
District Congress Committee president Muhammed Shiyas presided over the event. MPs Hibi Eden and Jebi Mather and MLAs K. Babu, T.J. Vinod, Uma Thomas, and Anwar Sadat were among those who were present.