Septuagenarian stages stir against Kizhakkambalam panchayat

Local body authorities term woman’s allegations politically motivated

A septuagenarian in Karukulam ward in Kizhakkambalam panchayat near here staged a protest on Sunday, alleging that the local body ruled by the Twenty20 outfit had failed to keep its promise of constructing a new house for her after demolishing the earlier structure in 2017. Seventy-seven-year-old Eliyamma held the protest on her land. P.V. Sreenijin, MLA, visited her at the site. “She told me that the panchayat authorities had demolished her house for road widening in 2017. Despite repeated pleas, the panchayat samithi failed to set up a home for her,” he said. Mr. Sreenijin said steps were taken to shift her to a temporary shelter. However, the panchayat authorities have rejected the allegations as “baseless” and “politically motivated”. K.P. Vinod, who had represented Karukulam ward between 2015 and 2020, said the panchayat had not acquired her land for road development.