The civic body has already started the process of zeroing in on an
agency for the annual maintenance and repair of streetlights. A
preliminary discussion with the representatives of an agency based in
Kasaragod district was held four days ago at the mayor’s chamber. The
civic body was forced to take this step, since it could not find takers
for the annual maintenance and repair of streetlights, after floating
tenders for the job on two occasions.

The civic body invited
tenders after the department of local self government issued a circular
entrusting local self-bodies for the maintenances and repair of
streetlights in September 2011. The circular said that the maintenance
of streetlights was the responsibility of corporation contractors and
not of the KSEB or local self-government body in the state. The KSEB
withdrew after LSG department issued the circular. The city corporation
entrusted electrical wing of the KSEB to conduct repair till it could
find a permanent mechanism to repair the streetlights.

According to the corporation officials, there are more than 10,000 streetlights in the corporation limit.

Public works standing committee chairman M Mohanan, said that the civic
body had already held talks with the agency. “A final round of talks
will be held with the agency after visiting their site. The civic body
will then float the tender and the agency will take part in the
tendering process. The agency will be entrusted for annual maintenance
and repair, if no others come forward to accept the tender,” said
Mohanan.