Dissent brews in panchayat sub-committee

Thiruvananthapuram: The LDF panchayat committee at Peringamala panchayat is witnessing an internal dissent over the proposed waste-to-energy plant at Peringamala.
Residents have been protesting against the proposal, alleging that it would lead to large-scale pollution and environmental destruction. The panchayat had earlier constituted a sub-committee to study the proposal following the uproar by the opposition in the panchayat committee meeting.
Although the sub-committee has submitted its report to panchayat secretary, four UDF members, who were part of the committee, had quit from the sub-committee citing inaction by LDF in resisting the proposal.
Things got worse for the panchayat committee as vice-president and CPI representative Kunjumon K J openly declared his objection against the plant on Facebook.
Kunjumon, however, maintained that although he opposed the proposal personally, the panchayat committee could not pass a resolution opposing the project as of now. “As part of the sub-committee report, we had contacted the office of chief minister, electricity minister and agriculture minister. We were told that the government is scouting for ideal site for the plant. Nothing will be finalised until a comprehensive study is done. The department of agriculture has said that no procedures on land transaction have started. We have submitted the report including all the information we could collect,” said Kunjumon.
He added that the local CPI leadership opposed the plan but until the panchayat received any communication regarding the plant, it could not act simply on the basis of the demand raised by the opposition. “Till date, the government did not inform anything regarding the proposed plant to the panchayat,'' said Kunjumon.
Meanwhile, residents of Peringamala will take out a march on Saturday at 8am condemning the panchayat for its ‘indifferent stand’ on the proposal. It will begin from the protest venue and conclude at panchayat office. “We have lost trust in this panchayat committee. They are unable to take a stand on the issue, that is why we quit from the sub-committee,'' said Sajeena Yahiya, UDF ward member, Kochuvila.