The New Indian express                17.04.2013

Issues and grievances related to land allotment and comprehensive development plan (CDP) of the city were addressed at the hearing in the ‘adalat’ organised by the BDA.

For first time, BDA took the initiative to address the grievances of the citizens at a public platform. 

Srinivas and BDA Vice-Chairman Vishal Dev listened to the grievances of the people and disposed of the cases.

“We have now made it clear that government land, roads and drains are zero tolerance zones and any encroachment will be removed without notice. We will be having similar open house discussions for any change in the city’s plan,” said Srinivas, adding that the discussions will be held zone-wise.

A group of 24 persons from Bijipur revenue village had a problem in getting permission for construction of house from the local tehsildar.

Bijipur village association president Srinath Subudhi said the tehsildar had not permitted construction on agricultural land adjacent to NH-5 as BDA has introduced a new plan for the NH expansion.

 “We are running form pillar to post from the past three years to get the permission from the authorities,” said Subudhi.

Dev assured the villagers that BDA would look into the matter and a solution will be provided within two months. Around 220 individuals had registered their names to attend the hearing with their grievances.

The Hindu                 16.04.2013

Vehicles, walkers get edged out as vendors jostle for space

Increasing demand to remove encroachers at Vyttila junction.

With the Ponnurunni overbridge expected to be commissioned in another two months, there is increasing demand to remove vendors and others who encroach on pavements and service roads at Vyttila.

Traffic out of gear

Vendors jostle for space at the junction and at the mouth of service roads, throwing traffic and pedestrian movement out of gear.

“All pending works, including the bridge’s approaches and the construction of the portion over the railway line will be over by June end,” said MD of Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish.

Parking curbs

Apart from widening the Ponnurunni-Vyttila stretch on the bridge’s southern side, civic agencies and the traffic police will have to curb parking to ensure smooth flow of vehicles.

Illegal market

Vyttila – the biggest and busiest junction in the State — has so far not been swept clean despite the Kochi Corporation’s drive to remove vendors, flex boards from public places entering its second week.

The High Court of Kerala had recently directed government agencies and the police to remove obstacles for pedestrians.

The councillor, representing Vyttila Division in Kochi Corporation, Sunitha Dixon said an illegal mini-market had cropped up along the service road at Vyttila. An individual owns most of the carts and street shops.

“Similarly, a host of unauthorised vendors have encroached into the road, obstructing pedestrians, vehicles and access to a urinal proposed adjacent to the Vyttila-Ponnurunni Road,” Ms Dixon said.

Corporation assurance

While promising that vendors and encroachers will be removed from Vyttila, the corporation has sought more cooperation from the police and the district administration.

“Kudumbasree outlets and other shops who pay rent, tax and license fee are affected because of the proliferation of illegal vendors. By obstructing free movement of people, the street vendors have become a challenge to the rule of law.

Concerns expressed

“We have begun using excavators to clear encroachments and flex boards since there are too many of them,” said K.J. Sohan, the Chairman of Corporation’s Town Planning standing committee.

He expressed concern over many food kiosks co-sponsored by the civic agency operating illegally, away from the places allotted to them.

“Vendors do not deserve sympathy and do not deserve rehabilitation. Our past experience shows that they will continue to obstruct road users even if we rehabilitate them,” said Mr Sohan.

“On its part, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) must give us the sanction to clear weeds and to clean clogged drains alongside the service roads at Vyttila, since roads get inundated in the rains.”

‘Widen underpass’

Ms Dixon called upon the National Highways Authority of India to widen the narrow underpass of the Vyttila bridge since motorists will throng it once the Ponnurunni bridge is ready.