The Hindu            15.11.2013

‘Accord priority to anti-dengue measures’

The Corporation Council meeting was convened here on Thursday. Mayor L. Sasikala Pushpa presided over the meeting. A. Kottur Raja, DMK councillor of ward 30, appealed to the Mayor to accord priority to initiating anti-dengue measures.

He stressed the need for using quality chemicals to combat mosquitoes. A Corporation health officer said mosquitoes were of different species and fogging operations were being taken up based on their characteristics. Abate solutions were poured at all sensitive locations.

S. Augustine, AIADMK councillor of ward 20, said buildings owned by the Corporation should be rented out promptly and officials should monitor the process. To that, the Mayor said the officials would do so.

Periyasami, an AIADMK councillor, sought the intervention of the Corporation authorities to prevent levying of tax for lands at Pulipanchankulam, a waterbody at Sankaraperi panchayat. Around 250 acres of land in the locality was being taxed. The Mayor said a team would inspect the area and submit a report. Chandrabose, a Congress councillor, felt that there were not enough number of surveyors in the Corporation office and sought adequate staff strength. S. Madhumathi, Commissioner of Corporation, S.A. Rajagopalan, Executive Engineer, and officials from various departments attended.

The Hindu             14.11.2013

Corporation shoots down move to sell stray cattle in city

Staff Reporter

Councillors raised a demand to invite tenders to sell stray cattle in the city at the council meeting of the Thrissur Corporation here on Wednesday. The council, however, did not approve the demand.

Both ruling and opposition councillors alleged that stray cattle posed a threat to the safety of the public. Many incidents of cattle injuring people had come to light, they claimed. The councillors also opposed a demand by an animal welfare organisation to acquire two acres of land to shelter stray cattle.

However, the council gave the go-ahead to invite tenders to sell the cows and a bull being sheltered on the premises of the Anappara orphanage.

Many councillors also demanded that the corporation should begin disposing of inorganic waste at Lalur. The dumping of waste at Lalur has been stopped for the past 649 days following a protest by local people.

Former Chairman of the Sanding Committee (Health) C.S. Sreenivasan said the government had allotted Rs.1 crore for constructing a solid waste treatment plant. A solid waste plant at Lalur would solve the waste management crisis of the city to a large extent, he said.

The council approved the recommendations of the finance committee to hike building tax and movie ticket rates at theatres. While small houses have to pay a tax of Rs.8 per sq. ft, big houses will be charged Rs.15 per sq. ft.