Thiruvananthapuram: A political row has erupted between state govt and city corporation over cleaning operations following the annual Attukal Pongala festival. General education minister V Sivankutty on Friday directed officials to investigate alleged lapses in waste removal in the city.Sivankutty instructed the revenue divisional officer, who was also Attukal special officer, to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit an urgent report on complaints that waste generated during the festival remained piled up in various locations for days and wasn’t fully cleared for days from several parts of the city. According to the minister, the probe would determine whether there were lapses in sanitation work carried out after the massive religious event, which attracts lakhs of women devotees to the city every year. He said ensuring proper waste removal after such a large gathering was essential to prevent public health issues and inconvenience to residents.Reports indicated that in some areas, waste collected from different parts of the city was temporarily dumped in open spaces and near the temple premises, leading to complaints from the public. However, the move triggered a sharp response from the BJP-led corporation, with mayor V V Rajesh accusing state govt of politicising the issue.Addressing a news conference on Friday, Rajesh said the corporation completed most cleaning work soon after the festival, and dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. He alleged that govt was attempting to tarnish the civic body’s image despite the minister himself appreciating the corporation’s arrangements on the festival day.“The corporation carried out massive cleaning operations immediately after pongala. It is unfortunate that govt is now trying to create controversy over the issue,” said Rajesh. Any remaining waste at a few isolated locations will be removed quickly and officials have been asked to verify the complaints, he added.Rajesh alleged that some officials might have colluded to create confusion about the waste management process. Corporation will examine the matter internally too, he said. Education minister should intervene only in his department, and corporation will oversee waste removal matters, he added.
