more-in Ruling and opposition councillors in the Kochi Corporation closed ranks at a council meeting held on Saturday as they demanded the termination of a contract for deployment of vehicles for the movement of solid waste on the grounds that there was no point in continuing it if the contractor consistently failed to meet the demand. The unavailability of lorries to transport waste was a major complaint raised by councillors at the meeting convened to discuss ways to contain the outbreak of epidemics. Even the reasoning by Mayor Soumini Jain and health standing committee chairperson V.K. Minimol that the immediate termination of the contract would adversely affect the three-day intensive sanitation campaign slated for later this month cut no ice with the councillors. They wanted the contract to be scrapped in keeping with the sentiments of the council. Notice to contractor Ms. Jain entrusted the Corporation Secretary to give a notice to the contractor immediately, asking the person to make available enough number of lorries, failing which an alternative mechanism of hiring lorries would be explored. “The lorries deployed by the contractor should transport waste dumped along roadsides as well as solid waste, including fallen trees and branches. The health department should monitor this,” she said. The Secretary said a notice was sent on Friday to the contractor to make available lorries on demand in divisions one to ten following a meeting in which Ms. Minimol and health inspectors participated. The health inspectors were yet to report the unavailability of lorries in these divisions, she said. Ms. Minimol said the understanding was violated on Saturday itself when lorries did not turn up at one of the divisions. Ruling councillors T.K. Ashraf and K.R. Premkumar threatened to stage protests if corrective measures were not taken. Leader of Opposition K.J. Antony said if the contractor was unable to supply the adequate number of lorries, then he should be blacklisted.

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