The Hindu            05.02.2014

Digging of roads for laying pipelines will not be allowed, says Mayor

Mayor Rajan Pallan has criticised the corporation officials who gave permission to the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) to dig up roads for laying pipes without depositing money for repairing them.

A group of councillors had recently picketed the water authority officials for the delay in re-tarring the roads, dug up for laying pipelines.

The Mayor asked the corporation secretary to give a report about the details of officials who had given permission to the water authority for pipeline laying work. He said stringent action would be taken against the officials.

The Mayor said the corporation would not give permission for digging up of any new road. Only the ongoing works can be completed, he said.

“The water authority should have deposited Rs. 90 lakh before digging up Olari, North Bus Stand, Paliyam, Kunnathumana and Chembookkavu roads. But it has not deposited any money,” the Mayor said.

The corporation is concerned about the hardships faced by the people due to the on-going works, he said.

The road repairing works were scheduled to be finished before January. It is still continuing indefinitely, the councillors alleged. There should be some arrangement to complete the work in a time-bound manner, they said. An urgent meeting of higher officials of the water authority, Public Works Department and the corporation will be convened to discuss the arrangements to be made to mitigate shortage of drinking water in the city.

The pressure of the real estate lobby was behind the move to close the slaughter house in Kuriachira, the standing committee chairman (health) Girish Kumar said.

He alleged that the court order to close the slaughter house came as the lawyer of the corporation failed to convince the court about the real situation at the slaughter house. It would be opened soon after fulfilling all the guidelines set by the court, he said.