Dysfunctional Streetlights: Corp to seek explanation from contractor

Kochi: Corporation council decided to seek an explanation from the contractor responsible for installing LED streetlights across 76 divisions due to breach of the contract terms and providing misleading information to the councillors. There was severe criticism against the contractor, with demands for removal being raised at the council held on Saturday.Mayor V K Minimol informed the council that the corporation will seek an explanation from the contractor and take strict action if the response is unsatisfactory.The contractor claimed that the installation of LED lights in divisions one to nine was complete. However, councillors representing those divisions said the lights were not installed.Although the contractor claimed to have installed 200 lights in Chullikkal division, Bastin Babu, councillor of the division said not even 10 lights were set up.Opposition leader V A Sreejith alleged that the same was the situation in all nine divisions. He also accused the contractor of charging money from the councillors for cables, which were part of the contract.BJP councillor Priya Prashanth from Amaravathy pointed out that high-mast lights removed for maintenance were not reinstalled for over six months. V P Chandran, councillor from Vyttila, criticised the contractors for not completing the work on time.