Vilappil Panchayat moves SC

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shutting out the lean ray of hope which had snooped in with regard to a consensus in the Vilappilsala garbage issue after the talks held by Urban Affairs Minister P K Kunhalikutty on Tuesday, the Vilappil panchayat committee has decided to move the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order to open the waste treatment plant.The panchayat committee unanimously passed the resolution to go in for an appeal against the High Court order at its meeting held here on Wednesday. The 20 members of the committee, including the CPM representatives, voted for the resolution. “We respect the Court order, but we cannot allow the opening of the treatment plant at any cost. The government may have its plans, but we have just one demand and that is to close down the plant forever. The panchayat is yet to receive the copy of the High Court order. Maybe by Tuesday, we will file the appeal and move the apex court,” said Shobhanakumari, Vilappil panchayat president. With the decision of the Vilappil panchayat, the hope of the garbage issue ending has been snuffed out. The State Government, during the Tuesday’s talks, had allowed five days for the panchayat to convey its decision. The Government had mooted a package for the relief and rehabilitation of the people of Vilappil also taking into consideration the decentralised solid waste management programme of the Corporation. The stand of the panchayat has put the Corporation in a crisis again. Though disappointed over the government stand allowing more time for the panchayat to arrive at a decision, the Corporation had thrown no tantrums at the meeting in the hope of a consensus. The Council, which met here on Wednesday, was also silent on the garbage issue. With the panchayat suddenly taking a U-turn on the issue, the government would have to chart out new measures to set the ball rolling in the solid waste management issue. Government sources said that it was set to dictate its own terms, now that the panchayat has exceeded its limits, not cooperating at any level.