Thrissur Corporation Mayor M.K. Varghese made it unequivocally clear on Friday that a recent directive from the Local Self-Government Department (LSGD), which drastically cut the number of sanctioned positions in the Corporation’s electricity wing from 229 to just 103, was issued without any prior consultation or approval from the Corporation or its elected council.
The Mayor affirmed that from the moment this contentious order arrived, he has been actively pursuing avenues, in his official capacity, to ensure its cancellation.
Highlighting the bureaucratic reality, Mayor Varghese stated, “Only the government and the LSGD department possess the authority to revoke this order. I have received assurances that the necessary steps to overturn it are already underway within the relevant departments.”
During the same meeting, Varghese sternly condemned the conduct of Congress councillors. He alleged that after two of their prominent leaders had spoken, they deliberately incited disorder, refused to allow other voices to be heard, and even attempted to physically intimidate him. He labeled these actions as a serious criminal offense and a direct assault on democratic principles.
Looking ahead, the Mayor announced that a crucial meeting, chaired by the Minister for Local Self-Governments, is scheduled for September 23 in Thiruvananthapuram. The primary objective of this gathering will be to devise a legal strategy to resolve the contentious staff reduction in the electricity wing.
Furthermore, Varghese didn’t shy away from political commentary, asserting that historically, it has been Congress administrations that championed privatization in the public sector, a policy direction he noted is now also being pursued by the BJP.