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.