Thrikkakara municipal secretary files complaint against chairperson, says `life in danger'

Kochi: The Thrikkakara municipal secretary has filed a complaint against Municipality chairperson Ajitha Thankappan. Municipal secretary B Anil Kumar said that his life was in danger. 

In his complaint to the police filed on Friday, Kumar stated that former municipality chairman and Congress councillor Shaji Vazhakkala threatened him in the chairperson’s chamber in the presence of Ajitha. Kumar said that Vazhakkala threatened him saying, “The former secretary was once beaten up inside the cabin.” The complaint has also been forwarded to the local self government department principal director and urban director. 

The ruling side and the municipal secretary have been at loggerheads at the Thrikkakara municipality for some time now. The previous day, the chairperson came forward with a complaint that the secretary was undermining project activities to subvert the municipal administration.

In a complaint filed with the municipal director, the chairperson said that the secretary was setting aside bills without signing them with only two months left for the financial year to end. 

The chairperson has also made allegations that the secretary was taking leave regularly and that he was subverting the decisions taken at the council meetings.  

The chairperson also sought the removal of the secretary from his position and to adopt steps for the smooth functioning of the municipality. 

With this, the clash between the chairperson and the secretary regarding the spending of Thrikkakara municipality plan funds has intensified.