The Hindu 29.09.2009
Master plan needed for Thrikkakara: Minister
Special Correspondent
| ’JNNURM funds not judiciously utilised’ |
KOCHI: Thrikkakara, Kochi city’s favourite residential suburb which is expected to be elevated to a municipality, may soon go the same way as other overcrowded suburbs elsewhere in the country if steps are not taken to vastly improve its infrastructure.
This fear was expressed by speakers at a seminar on ‘Thrikkakara—the New Kochi’ organised by the Mavelipuram Residents’ Association, one of the earliest residents’ association in Thrikkakara, at Kakkanad on Monday.
Seminar
The seminar aimed to highlight the problems of Thrikkakara where a real estate boom has been going on for years and alert the authorities to the possible choking of public utilities and infrastructure in the near future.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas, who opened the seminar, urged the authorities to draw up a master plan for Thrikkakara and nearby places in order to regulate construction and provide for roads and other infrastructure.
The masterplan was also necessary for the provision of waste disposal and pollution control, he pointed out.
He said that lack of planning was one of the major reasons for the non-implementation of Centrally-funded development projects in Kerala.
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), which pumped large funds to the cities for improving urban infrastructure, had not taken off well in Kerala. Though JNNURM would foot half of the bill of approved projects in Kochi, the authorities have not been able to make use of it, he said.
K. Babu MLA, who presided, cautioned that if steps were not taken now, Thripunithura would go the way of Mattancherry, where drinking water, roads and drainage were all in a shambles.
K.P. Dahanapalan MP launched the campaign for ‘Accident-free Thrikkakara’ and M.M. Monayi MLA launched the ‘Clean Thrikkakara’ campaign. MRA president A.J. Verghese, secretary Anil Kumar spoke and film actor Karthika spoke.
The Union Minister honoured senior journalist N.N. Sathyavrathan by presenting him a shawl.
