The Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) on Saturday (May 30, 2026) sought to corner Mayor V.K. Minimol, accusing her of ‘abuse of power’ by illegally extending the agreement with the company engaged in biomining legacy waste after the expiry of the original contract, without consulting the council.
LDF parliamentary party leader V.A. Sreejith had written to the Corporation secretary on Friday (May 29, 2026) raising the matter. In his letter, he alleged that the decision taken at the council meeting on January 27 was erroneously recorded in the minutes. He pointed out that the decision to place the file before the council after the National Institute of Technology-Calicut (NIT-C) completed its survey to estimate the volume of legacy waste remaining to be biomined and after securing legal opinion had been violated.
Raising the issue in the council, Mr. Sreejith registered the Opposition’s protest against the decision to extend the agreement with Bhumi Green Energy on March 13, 2026, after the expiry of its term, without consulting the council. “The renewed agreement must be scrapped,” he said.
The United Democratic Front-led Corporation council had, just before the Assembly election notification, granted the extension to complete biomining of the remaining legacy waste. Ms. Minimol had claimed that the governing committee had managed to reduce the per-tonne rate of biomining by ₹18 from the previously fixed ₹1,690 through intense negotiations, thereby saving the Corporation around ₹60 lakh. She further reasoned that the extension was granted since April-May was the most suitable period for biomining, as the tonnage of waste would increase during the monsoon.
The Opposition also slammed the governing committee over what it described as a failure in pre-monsoon works. Mr. Sreejith said that several areas in the city were flooded in the overnight rain on Friday. “The governing committee cannot escape criticism by shifting the entire blame to officials. In fact, assistant executive engineers were shuffled precisely on that ground, and yet works were affected,” he said.
Ms. Minimol responded that a WhatsApp group including officials had been started to report waterlogging and related issues. “Officials have been asked to report action taken, complete with photographs. Inaction can also be reported in the group,” she said.
Mr. Sreejith, however, drew her attention to officials’ replies that estimates had been prepared, remarking that by the time the works were undertaken on the ground, the monsoon would be over. He also criticised the placement of boards across divisions announcing the Mayor’s allocation of ₹13 lakh per division for pre-monsoon works.
Published – May 31, 2026 01:41 am IST
