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The Hindu
20 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
UDF questions Kochi Corporation's claim of declaring city waste-free in two months
The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) has questioned the Kochi Corporation's claim that the city will be declared waste-free in two months, citing what it alleged was a disproportion between the total number of commercial establishments in the city and the negligible number of those that have signed up for waste disposal through the civic body's My Kochi app. Mayor M. Anilkumar, at a council meeting on Thursday (May 29, 2025), had announced the launch of an intense drive to declare Kochi waste-free in two months. The UDF pointed out that, as per the Corporation's assessment register, there were over one lakh commercial establishments in the city, of which fewer than 25,000 had renewed their licences this year. Even fewer commercial establishments — less than 500 — had signed up for waste disposal through the Corporation's bulk waste management agency, Rebuild Kerala. 'This exposes the Corporation's claim of making the city waste-free as hollow, as there is no parity between the waste generated and scientifically disposed of. When so many commercial establishments are not within the Corporation's official ambit of waste disposal unauthorised dumping in public places is unlikely to end anytime soon making the intense drive to declare the city waste-free meaningless. What is needed is a feasible waste disposal system acceptable to the community of traders,' said M.G. Aristotle, UDF parliamentary party secretary in the Corporation. Mr. Anilkumar, however, dismissed the accusation as baseless. According to the Opposition, the Corporation spent ₹2.16 crore on waste management in March, while over ₹1 crore is due from commercial establishments classified as bulk waste generators. The Corporation has received only ₹64 lakh through waste collection. The Opposition also accused the Corporation of not even trying to monetise reusable waste, despite spending crores on waste treatment every month.
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Kerala Congress leader AK Antony confident of UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath's victory in Nilambur by-elections
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], May 31 (ANI): Former Defence Minister and Congress leader AK Antony on Friday expressed confidence that United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Aryadan Shoukath will emerge victorious in the upcoming Nilambur by-elections. Antony asserted that the by-election would serve as a public verdict against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government. 'People who wish that the Pinarayi government wouldn't come into power again will vote for Aryadan Shoukath. Aryadan Shoukath will win in the by-election will be a mandate against Pinarayi Government...' Antony told the media. Aryadan Shoukath also met with the senior Congress leader ahead of the polls. On Friday, Kerala Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress leader VD Satheesan said that the upcoming Nilambur by-election would be treated as an opportunity to hold the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government accountable. He also confirmed that the first phase of the campaign work has been completed. 'We have already launched the election campaign, and our conventions are also going on... We will take it as an opportunity to prosecute the Pinarai government...' Satheesan told ANI. He added that preparations began a month ago and that significant voter outreach had already been achieved. 'We have completed our first round of election work and started our preparation a month ago. A total of 10,000 voters are enrolled in the election, out of which we have enrolled 8000...' he further added. The Nilambur by-election is scheduled for June 19, with counting to be held on June 23. The election was necessitated following the resignation of PV Anvar, an LDF-backed MLA who stepped down in January after being appointed the Convenor of the Kerala unit of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Earlier, on May 25, Malappuram District Congress Committee (DCC) President VS Joy stated that the party's high command would finalise the candidate for the bypoll. Joy expressed confidence that the political climate in Malappuram heavily favoured the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). 'The high command will decide the candidate. The candidate is merely a technicality. The atmosphere in Malappuram is such that anyone who becomes the candidate will win,' Joy told reporters. (ANI)
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Elections will be an opportunity to prosecute Pinarayi govt": Kerala LoP VD Satheesan on Nilambur by-elections
Ernakulam (Kerala) [India], May 31 (ANI): Kerala Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress leader VD Satheesan on Friday said that the upcoming Nilambur by-election would be treated as an opportunity to hold the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government accountable. He also confirmed that the first phase of the campaign work has been completed. 'We have already launched the election campaign, and our conventions are also going on... We will take it as an opportunity to prosecute the Pinarai government...' Satheesan told ANI. He added that preparations began a month ago and that significant voter outreach had already been achieved. 'We have completed our first round of election work and started our preparation a month ago. A total of 10,000 voters are enrolled in the election, out of which we have enrolled 8000...' he further added. The Nilambur by-election is scheduled for June 19, with counting to be held on June 23. The election was necessitated following the resignation of PV Anvar, an LDF-backed MLA who stepped down in January after being appointed the Convenor of the Kerala unit of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Earlier, on May 25, Malappuram District Congress Committee (DCC) President VS Joy stated that the party's high command would finalise the candidate for the bypoll. Joy expressed confidence that the political climate in Malappuram heavily favoured the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). 'The high command will decide the candidate. The candidate is merely a technicality. The atmosphere in Malappuram is such that anyone who becomes the candidate will win,' Joy told reporters here. Meanwhile, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Sunny Joseph welcomed the announcement of the by-election and said it would serve as a referendum on the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government's performance. 'We welcome the declaration of the Nilambur byelection, though it is late. The UDF (United Democratic Front) and the Congress party are well prepared for the election... This election will be a verdict against the anti-people policies and programmes of the LDF (Left Democratic Front), their political atrocities, criminalisation of the police force, and the human-animal conflict being neglected by the government...' Joseph told ANI. (ANI)
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
CPIM names M Swaraj as LDF candidate for Kerala bypoll on June 19
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday announced M Swaraj as the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) candidate for the Nilambur Assembly by-election in Kerala, setting the stage for a heated contest with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), which has already named Aryadan Shoukath as its by-election, scheduled for June 19, was necessitated by the resignation of PV Anvar, who had won the seat twice with LDF support. Anvar stepped down after falling out with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, citing issues with the Chief Minister's political secretary and Additional Director General of Police Ajith Kumar. He subsequently joined the Trinamool Congress. His exit has sparked tensions within the UDF, as Anvar is reportedly opposed to Shoukath's state secretary MV Govindan made the announcement following the party state secretariat meeting. Swaraj, a former Member of the Legislative Assembly who represented the Tripunithura constituency from 2016 to 2021, hails from Nilambur in Malappuram district. He is currently a member of the CPI(M) state secretariat. He lost to Congress candidate K Babu in the 2021 elections. Announcing Swaraj's candidature, Govindan said the LDF aims to make a 'significant advance' in the Nilambur by-election. He noted that Swaraj was selected with the understanding that the by-poll would be among the most intense political contests in recent times. He also described Nilambur as a politically important sharply criticised Anvar, calling him a "Judas who betrayed the LDF" and remarked that Kerala is witnessing his 'pitiful state' as he struggles to find space within the Congress-led to the media, Swaraj said that Nilambur has been historically favourable to the Left and that many people across political lines agree that the Left is best suited to govern the state. He expressed confidence that the election results would reflect continued public support for the LDF government.'The contest is not against individuals, but against anti-Left forces,' Swaraj stated, calling on secular-minded voters to ensure the continuation of the Left to Swaraj's entry into the fray, Shoukath welcomed the contest. 'It's only when there is a defender on the field that the forward feels the thrill of scoring a goal,' he said in BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has not yet announced its candidate for the by-election. Meanwhile, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has announced Sadik Naduthodi, the party's Malappuram district vice president, as its candidate for the upcoming Nilambur marks a shift in the party's approach, as SDPI had refrained from contesting the last by-election and Lok Sabha polls, instead extending support to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). IN THIS STORY#Kerala
Deccan Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Stand-off with TMC and SDPI's candidature a cause for concern for Congress in Kerala by-poll
Congress leadership is sticking to its condition that TMC Kerala leader and former MLA P V Anvar should withdraw his critical remarks against Congress-led United Democratic Front's candidate Aryadan Shoukath.
