Tiff over Kudumbashree Onam fair venue resolved

KOZHIKODE: Contractor entrusted with the construction of a temporary shed at Mudalakulam maidan, constructed the tent after the rift between the corporation and washer men over the venue of Kudumbashree fair resolved amicably.
The washer men at the Mudalakulam protested against the construction of temporary shed to conduct the Kudumbashree onam fair at the maiden citing that crows will pick up the food waste and sit on the cloths put to dry on the open space and will get their cloths dirty.The issue was resolved as Mayor Thottathil Raveendran held discussions with the members of the washer men at the Mudalakulam on September 1 after the washer men blocked the contractor on August 31 from unloading iron poles brought to set up temporary shed. The Kudumbashree of the Kozhikode Corporation will conduct onam fair from September 3 to 12.
P Viji of Asankhaditha Mekhala Thozhilali said more than fifty washer men families using the Muthalakulam maidan to wash and dry cloths, collect clothes from various parts of the city to earn money their daily bread. "The previous year, non-removal of the waste on daily basis by the organisers of the fair created problem for them. Hence a memorandum was submitted to the mayor requesting not to provide the space used by the washer men to conduct any fair,'' she said.
Deputy mayor Meera Darshak said the issue was resolved after mayor held talks with the washer men at Mudalakulam. "Only a small portion of the corporation land at Mudalakulam maidan was given to the Kudumbashree Community Development Society to conduct the onam fair as we do not have any other open space to allot to them to conduct fair. The mayor also said that issues like crow picking up food waste from the stalls will not occur as it was clearly communicated to the organisers of the fair that not to sell food items,'' she said..