Panchayat member pulls down damaged bridge and builds new one, arrested

Alappuzha: Vinod B K , a member of Kainakary grama panchayat, was arrested last Friday after he and his friends brought down a dilapidated bridge and constructed a new bridge, spending Rs 1 lakh collected from villagers.

Vinod was arrested by Pulinkunnu police following a complaint by Kainakary grama panchayat secretary and president, which said that he has destroyed the bridge of the panchayat, creating a loss of Rs 79,000.

He was arrested under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and the local court remanded Vinod and his friend Ratheesh to judicial custody.

“Vinod is the working president of Kainakary Vikasana Samithy, which was set up around six years ago by people who left CPM. Kainakary was fully under the control of CPM. However, Vinod and his two friends, who contested as the Samithy’s candidates in the last panchayat elections, enjoyed a cake walk in the poll. He and his friends were very popular because of their people friendly programmes,” said Samithy secretary Sajimon V B.

“During the August floods, the 25-year-old bridge named Chakkomkalam constructed over Palukaran Thodu (canal) was damaged and the bridge stood touching the water in the canal. As a result, no boats could ply through the canal, affecting thousands of families in Kainakary as the locals were forced to travel an additional 5km in the other direction to travel from their village,” the Samithy secretary said.

“Vinod and his friends destroyed the dilapidated bridge and constructed a new bridge, which stood at a height of six feet from the surface of the water,” said Sajimon

The police said that there are four accused in the case as per the complaint lodged by the panchayat authorities and two were absconding.

The Samithy members said that they along with a large number of villagers will conduct agitation programmes in front of the panchayat on Saturday to register their protest against the authorities.

“Vinod had played a major role in revealing the illegal activities of an MLA and thus, he became an enemy of CPM,” claimed Samithy members.