The Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the Kochi Corporation has accused Mayor V.K.Minimol of abuse of power in connection with the extension of a biomining contract for legacy waste management.

According to the Opposition, the agreement with Bhumi Green Energy was extended after its expiry without obtaining the required approval from the Corporation council, thereby violating due procedure.LDF parliamentary party leader V.A.

Sreejith raised the issue with the Corporation secretary, alleging that the decision taken in the January 27 council meeting was incorrectly recorded in the minutes and that key conditions were ignored.

These conditions included placing the file before the council after the National Institute of Technology-Calicut completed its survey on the remaining waste and after securing legal opinion.

The Opposition further claimed that the extension granted on March 13, 2026, was done without proper consultation, despite the original contract having already expired.

The Mayor, however, defended the decision stating that the extension helped reduce the per-tonne biomining rate by ₹18, bringing it down from ₹1,690, which resulted in estimated savings of around ₹60 lakh for the Corporation.She also justified the timing by noting that April–May was considered suitable for biomining before the monsoon season.

Alongside this dispute, the Opposition also criticised the governing committee over alleged lapses in pre-monsoon preparedness, citing flooding in several city areas after overnight rains.They argued that shifting officials did not improve ground-level execution of works.

In response, the Mayor highlighted that a WhatsApp-based monitoring system had been introduced for officials to report waterlogging issues along with photographic evidence, ensuring accountability.

The Opposition also raised concerns about delays in execution despite estimates being prepared and pointed to the distribution of ₹13 lakh per division for pre-monsoon works as part of the administrative response.