Raising demand that the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) should
carry out the maintenance of the streetlamps in the city, an all-party
delegation of the Corporation led by Mayor K Chandrika on Friday
submitted a memorandum to Electricity Minister Aryadan Muhammed. It is
when various parts of the city are grappling over the issue of darkness
after sunset, thanks to non-functional streetlights, that the memorandum
has been submitted.

 As per statistics, the city has 65,000
fluorescent lamps, 15,000 sodium vapour lamps and more than 50 high-mast
lights. Timely maintenance of these lamps is essential and KSEB’s
workers and contract labourers are expected to carry out this activity.
The Corporation’s claim is that at present the civic body has no
facility to engage in the said work.

The KSEB often withdraws its
contract labourers and this, in turn, leaves many places dark. Most
often, maintenance work of the streetlamps is conducted during festive
occasions at key locations and a permanent arrangement to solve the
issue is not put in place.

 To set up meters, the City Corporation
had paid Rs 1.20 crore to the Electricity Board. However, this plan
could not be carried out, though its completion was promised within six
months.

If metering is done, the Corporation can avoid unnecessary
expenses towards paying electricity charges as it would give the exact
amount of electricity consumed. If the necessary measures are taken by
the KSEB to carry out these activities, energy efficiency can be ensured
in the Corporation area and unwanted expenses can be brought under
control, the all-party delegation said.

 Apart from the Mayor,
Deputy Mayor G Happykumar, LDF leader V S Padmakumar, UDF leader Johnson
Joseph, BJP leader P Asok Kumar and Welfare Standing Committee chairman
Palayam Rajan were present while submitting the memorandum.