The Hindu 11.04.2013
Streetlights: judge flays Corporation for inaction
Krishnadas Rajagopal
District Labour Court Judge S.H. Panchapakesan on
Wednesday lashed out at the Kozhikode Corporation for its ‘total
inaction’ to a Lok Adalat order he passed almost three months back
seeking the civic body’s co-operation to introduce solar-powered
streetlights to save taxpayers’ money.
Countering the
judge’s accusation, Mayor A.K. Premajam reasoned that projects are
implemented by following “procedural formalities” and after the
75-member Corporation Council takes a final call.
A
Lok Adalat presided by the judge on January 9, after a special hearing
attended by the Kozhikode Corporation Secretary and senior officials,
had sought the civic body to act in a time-bound manner and submit a
detailed project to use solar-powered LED streetlights.
The
Adalat was convened after the Kozhikode District Legal Services
Authority received a public interest complaint from Verghese Mathew, an
associate professor with Malabar Christian College here, about the
frequent power outages across the district.
“All that
I had asked from the Corporation was to present their expense account
to check how much they spend on their electricity bills. No response.
Three months later, total inaction. They say they have no free time,”
Mr. Panchapakesan told
The Hindu
. Earlier in the day, at a public meet, in an emotionally-charged speech
interrupted by repeated power cuts, the judge gave full vent to his
disappointment at the way his order was shabbily treated by the civic
body.
“I had spoken to the Mayor about installing
36Watt solar-powered LED streetlamps and even presented this matter
before the Corporation Council,” Mr. Mathew said when contacted.
“I
told the council that the project can be launched with the installation
of one solar streetlight in the city at a vantage point such as near
the Town Hall or on the Thondayad-Malaparamba highway where accidents
are frequent. I had informed the Corporation that the civic authority
need not shell out the money for the installation and sponsors are ready
in return for advertisement space on the lamp post. There is no
response from the Corporation so far,” he said. The Corporation’s annual
budget for 2012-13 shows that lighting up the city streets alone costs
the civic body a whopping Rs.2.55 crore. “In principle, we agree with
the installation of solar-powered streetlights, but there are procedural
formalities to be followed,” Mayor Premajam said.
‘All
that I had asked from the Corporation was to present their expense
account to check how much they spend on their electricity bills. No
response.’
