Kozhikode Corporation Council calls for united action against dowry system

Council also passes adjournment motion demanding that Centre control LPG prices

The Kozhikode Corporation Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a motion in protest against the increasing cases of dowry deaths and domestic violence in the State. Health standing committee chairperson S. Jayasree who presented the motion pointed out that there should be a combined effort to create awareness about the Dowry Prohibition Act among common people.

Congress councillor P. Usha Devi spoke of the recommendations of the V.S. Achuthanandan-led Administrative Reforms Commission on the issue. “There should be dowry prohibition officers in every district and the clause in the Dowry Prohibition Act of giving dowry being a criminal offence should be removed, to encourage more people to come up against those asking for dowry,” Ms. Usha Devi quoted the commission and called for the active intervention of the State government to wipe out the social evil through campaigns. BJP councillor Navya Haridas questioned the State’s declaration in 2016 that the dowry system would be wiped out from Kerala in five years. She suggested that those in responsible positions, such as that of the chairperson of Kerala Women’s Commission, should be appointed based on their merit alone.

Congress councillor S.K. Aboobakker invited the council’s attention towards the mounting pile of plastic waste in the city as the Haritha Karma Sena has suspended collection of waste temporarily as it could not be taken to recycling plants in West Hill or Njeliyanparamba.

Earlier, the council passed an adjournment motion demanding that the Central government control the price of LPG despite opposition from BJP councillors. CPI(M) councillor M.C. Anil Kumar, who presented the motion, said the price of cooking gas was heading towards the ₹1,000-mark very fast and criticised the Central government for not reining in petroleum companies. Opposition leader K.C. Shobhita pointed out that the subsidies were no longer available and that the hike in cooking gas price was sabotaging family budgets.

An adjournment motion proposed by K. Moideen Koya of the IUML on the need to revise the COVID-19 death list by including expatriates was rejected by the Mayor on grounds that it was not of emergency nature.

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